


Coming Home

by my_sweet_obsessions



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Angst, Bellamy Blake x Melody Pond, F/M, Fluff, JUST KISS ALREADY, Not THE Melody Pond I'm just a huge nerd, Protective Bellamy, Romance, Stubborn Melody, The 100 - Freeform, also lots of drama, hella sexual tension, literally just rewriting this from an OC's point of view, lots of fluffy feelsy moments, lots of trauma here, these two are the most dsyfunctional couple I've ever written
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-07
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2018-08-13 12:57:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 113,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7977589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/my_sweet_obsessions/pseuds/my_sweet_obsessions
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Melody Pond killed a man, and she's spent the last four years rotting away in a cell over it. But when the Ark selects 100 prisoners to be sent down to Earth, Melody is given another chance. The 100 are given a new start on Earth, but they soon find that life on the ground isn't all it's cracked up to be. It's a fight to the death to survive this strange new world AND each other. A fight that would be oh so much easier if there wasn't a certain brown-eyed Rebel King running the show.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Melody Pond killed a man.

She'd like to have been able to say that it was an accident, but that would have been a lie. Melody had in fact wielded the blade that ended the life of Doctor Jason Evans. She had been the one to drag the sharpened edge of the blade across the man's skin, slicing his throat open from left to right. And as the crimson colored blood had begun to pour from his throat and pool around her feet, Melody had felt no remorse. Only relief.

A nurse had found the two of them. Melody, leaning up against the wall with a bloody scalpel clutched in her hand. And the doctor, lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood. The nurse was a screamer, Melody remembered. She'd screamed and she'd screamed and she'd screamed. Murderer. You're a murderer. Melody hadn't had a response for that. The woman spoke the truth; Melody Pond was in fact a murderer.

The guards had come for her then, and Melody hadn't resisted. What was the point? She'd -literally- been caught red handed. In cold blood. Even as the cold metal of the handcuffs had bit into her wrists and she'd been shoved not-so-gently down the hallway, Melody had remained silent and straight-faced. They'd led her to the Sky Box, the prison station of the Ark, and into the section that was reserved for juvenile delinquents. There they had thrown Melody into a cell and left her to rot.

For four whole years.

"Prisoner 071198."

As two armed guards stepped into the room, Melody's head snapped up and her green eyes narrowed. Her fingers curled into the fabric of her sheets as the girl slowly slid her way to the edge of the bed. The guards began to approach and yet Melody continued to sit on the bed, which was in reality nothing more than a thin mattress spread over a slab of metal that had been fused to the wall.

The gears in the girl's mind began to come to life, creaking slightly as they were in dire need of exercise. Now, why in the world would they be coming to her room in the middle of the day on a Saturday? Lunch had already been served. She wasn't due for an inspection. There was absolutely no visitation. So, what could it be? Understanding dawned on Melody all at once.

They were going to kill her.

A terrified look flashed across the girl's face as her grip on the bedspread tightening. The guards came closer and closer, closing the gap between them and the prisoner. When they were just a few steps away Melody suddenly jumped up and all but flew across the room, her messy fire-red hair streaming behind her. The cell was small and it wasn't long before she came to one of its four walls. Slightly discouraged, Melody turned around and pressed her back against the metal wall, eyes wide as she seemed to cringe away from the guards like a deer in headlights. She was, without a doubt, caught.

"I'm not eighteen yet." She said aloud, hating the slight quiver in her voice. It made her sound like a frightened child.

The rules of the Ark clearly stated that a prisoner could not be 'floated' before their eighteenth birthday. Floating was the Ark's most popular mode of punishment. It was a death sentence. And Melody was still seventeen for at least a few more months. There was no way that they could float her. It was against the law!

The guards said nothing as they continued to descend upon her. Their arms were outstretched, as if they meant to grab and detain her. Melody's eyes fell upon their weapons, which were holstered at their sides. Between the shock batons and the machine guns, Melody didn't stand a chance at escaping. Not that she could escape. She wasn't big, she wasn't strong. And where would she go, even if she did manage to make it out of the Sky Box alive?

The girl's green eyes were filled with fear as the guards reached for her. Their grips were iron-clad as each one of the guards grabbed one of her arms and pulled. They began to haul Melody towards the door, causing the girl's panic to spike even further. She didn't stand a chance.

"I said I'm not eighteen!" Insisted Melody once more. Her head swung from side to side as she searched for any sign of understanding or compassion on the guard's faces. They were both stoic as they marched in sync. "You can't do this!"

They could do it. That was the scary part. Melody knew that they could do whatever they damn well pleased because they were the ones in charge and she was just a prisoner at their mercy. The most maddening part of it all was the silence from the guards as they dragged Melody out of her cell and into the hallway.

The moment she was in the hallway, Melody realized that she wasn't the only one in a state of panic. Dozens of voices could be heard shouting and arguing and pleading as one by one the prisoners were drawn out of their cells. The halls were full of guards in teams of two leading prisoners out of the Sky Box and towards another station.

Stunned into silence, the redhead shuffled along slowly. Her green gaze drank in the sight as countless prisoners marched along beside her, heading towards the next station. What could this mean? The chancellor couldn't float all of them at once. No, a few dozen teenage prisoners disappearing at once would surely raise questions and concerns. Was it quarantine then? Perhaps there was an outbreak of strep throat or the chicken pox. It had happened before, but not once since Melody had been alive.

For the last few years Melody had been 'out of the loop' so to speak. She was always one of the last to know what was going on. Apparently murderers didn't get roommates, nor did they get visitors. The only human interaction she'd had since being locked up was the few terse words exchanged with the guards who served her meals three times a day.

"I said," She began again, only to find herself being interrupted.

"You've said enough." Snapped the guard to her left. "Shut it."

"You can't do this." She repeated, shaking her head. "You can't."

"You're not being floated."

"What?" Melody looked over at the guard in surprise, wondering if she heard him right. "You're not floating me?"

"No."

"Then what's going on?" She pressed, unsatisfied by his vague answers. "Why are you taking me out in the middle of the day? Why are you taking me out at all?"

"You and 99 other prisoners have been selected to undergo a mission for the good of the Ark." This time it was the other guard who spoke to her. If Melody wasn't mistaken, his voice held a slight twinge of sympathy.

_Thanks for the concern,_ she thought bitterly. 

A mission for the good of the Ark. The words painted a pretty picture, a picture of noble warriors riding off into battle. For the good of the Ark. In theory, maybe. But Melody knew the truth behind the carefully chosen words, words that had likely come from the mouth of the chancellor himself. Whatever this 'mission' might be, it wasn't going to be easy.

Melody forced herself to remain silent as the guards led her and countless others down the seemingly endless hallway. Absently she thought, I don't remember it being this long before. Granted the first time she'd walked down this hallway had been under different circumstances. Then, Melody had been a scared thirteen year old girl. A pitiful freckled-faced kid with big eyes and a life that was over before it had even began. Countless people had watched her trudge down that hallway, all of them thinking the same things.

Why did she do it?

How did she do it?

She's just a kid.

And, _most importantly_ ; she'll die in there.

Killing someone was not exactly a forgivable offense. The only reason Melody hadn't been floated was because of her age. Some argued that she was too young to be floated. Launching a thirteen year old girl into space unprotected was simply inhumane. Others argued that murder was murder and she should be punished accordingly. They had argued back and forth, but eventually it had been decided that Melody would be put in The Sky Box until she was old enough to undergo another trial. And there she had sat for almost four years, until they decided to let her rejoin the world of the living.

They entered a new, larger room and the guards finally released Melody. She rubbed at her sore wrists absently as she looked around the room. It was a huge room with what looked to be some sort of small dropship sitting in the center of it. All around her, other prisoners were dressing and boarding the ship.

"Put this on."

A jacket hit Melody square in the chest and bounced off, falling to the floor. She bent over hastily and picked up the jacket before slipping it on over her gray tank top. It was a lightweight anorak jacket, probably made of cotton, which had been dyed a dark green color. The jacket zipped all the way up to her throat, but was decorated on either side with brass snap-buttons that held the pockets closed. It was a loose fit, but there was an inner drawcord that Melody pulled tight to cinch the waist accordingly.

"And these."

A pair of black leather combat boots were dropped in front of her carelessly. Melody looked down at her sock feet for a few moments before kneeling down to slide her feet into the boots. She laced them all the way up and then stood once more, wiggling her toes around inside of the boots. It was the first time in years that she'd been allowed to wear anything other than the custom tank top and jeans. She couldn't recall the last time she'd been permitted to wear a pair of shoes on her feet.

Melody straightened up once more and looked over at the guard, awaiting further instruction. The guard only looked up briefly from where he was digging through a pile of clothes. His gaze scanned Melody once before he shook his head and said simply, "Cuff her."

Once again fear struck Melody so hard that she felt the urge to run. When it came to the fight or flight response, she had a bit of trouble with the 'fight' part. She blamed her mother, who was just as small and scrawny as Melody herself. A mother who, with the best intentions in mind, had drilled into her daughter's head that women were not powerful enough to fight. Ladies were meant to be sweet and docile and good-natured.

The guard took one step forward and Melody took one back. She would have taken another if not for the second guard stepping forward to hold her still. Melody thrashed her body from side to side, desperate to escape as the first guard drew closer. She could remember all too well the feeling of the metal hand cuffs cutting into her wrists. It made her feel helpless and confined, at the mercy of the guards. Which she was, regardless.

"Please…please." She begged, practically shaking as she cringed backwards, away from the approaching guard.

Her eyes slipped shut as the guard came to a stop in front of her. Melody felt him grab her arm, and then he was 'cuffing' her, as one of the other guards had put it. A surprised yelp pushed past her lips as she felt the prickling of tiny needles piercing her skin along the inside of the cuff. Her green eyes flew open and she stared down at her wrist in surprise. She wasn't wearing a set of handcuffs, but rather a single silver bracelet.

"It's to monitor your vitals on Earth." Explained the guard, who was tampering with the bracelet. A few moments later a green light flickered on. "There. All set."

"Earth?" Melody gaped at the man as she was led away. "Did he just say Earth?"

The second guard led her towards the dropship that sat in the middle of the room. It was an old exodus ship, one of the ones that they kept stored away for when the human race could one day return to Earth. But that was impossible right now. Earth had been inhabitable for decades. The nuclear wars had wiped out all life and left the planet irradiated beyond belief. It would be centuries before any of them could return.

All at once the reality of the 'mission' hit Melody like a ton of bricks. They weren't being sent away to defend the Ark; they were being sent away to die. A mission 'for the good of the Ark.' This was a mass murder.

Melody sat down hard in one of the seats, still trying to wrap her mind around the whole thing. They're sending us away to die. The thought was so disturbing that it chilled her to the bone. Her movements were jerky and almost robotic as she buckled herself into the cushioned seat. I'm going to die. Those words echoed in the girl's mind as she sat back against the seat, almost to the point of shaking with fear.

"Isn't this exciting?"

Her head snapped to the side, green eyes narrowing at the boy who sat beside her. He appeared to be her age, give or take a year or so. He had big brown eyes that matched his messy hair and for some reason wore an excited grin on his face. The boy didn't look afraid. In fact, he looked exhilarated. He looked alive.

"We're going to Earth." Melody said the words as if they should explain everything. As if somehow they would cause understanding to dawn on the boy's face as he realized his fate. She waited for that look of understanding, the look of fear, but it never came.

"I know." The brunette sent Melody a wicked grin. "I'm Jasper Jordan."

It was a nice name, the kind of name that just slipped off of your tongue. Jasper Jordan. It had a nice ring to it.

"Uh…Melody." She said quietly, thinking to herself that it didn't matter what their names were. They were all about to die. And for some reason she was the only one who seemed concerned by the fact.

What was wrong with these people? Didn't they realize what this meant? As Melody looked around the dropship she was surprised to find a lot of excited faces. A few of the other prisoners looked nervous, but those who did were few and far between. Most of the others were talking animatedly and voicing their excitement for the upcoming journey.

"You do realize what this means, right? Us going to Earth." Pressed Melody, raising her eyebrows at the boy who was practically bouncing in his seat.

His excitement was pointless. Even if they did manage to survive the landing to Earth -and that was a big if - the radiation would kill them as soon as they set foot on the planet. This was not a win-win situation. It wasn't a time to celebrate and make plans for the future. They had no future.

"Yeah." When he nodded and turned to look at her, Jasper somehow managed to knock the pair of goggles off of his head. They fell down and covered his face, causing the boy to laugh softly before he raised them to peek over at Melody. "This is a fresh start."

Before Melody could utter another word, a large monitor towards the front of the dropship suddenly switched on. She watched with little interest as a video of the chancellor began to stream, silencing the rest of the prisoners. Chancellor Jaha was a middle-aged man with dark skin and equally dark eyes which seemed to look right through a person. He always wore a somewhat grave expression on his face, even when he was trying to be uplifting and positive. He had always intimidated Melody.

The man on the screen spoke calmly and seriously as he explained to them the purpose and the goals of the 'mission' they were about to embark on. Melody, along with 99 other prisoners, were going to be sent down to Earth to see if the planet was inhabitable. Their job was to keep on the bracelets they had been given, which would monitor their vitals and send the data back up to the Ark. If it was safe, the rest of the people on the Ark would come down to join them. If it wasn't, then it really sucked to be the 100.

"This is so epic." Jasper said, his words and his grin directed at another boy who sat in a seat across the dropship. The other boy had shaggy black hair and kind eyes. Although he looked a bit more reserved, he wore a smile that mirrored Jasper's.

"Jasper, we could die." Melody finally said, her green eyed wide and confused. "Don't you realize that?"

As if to prove her point, the ship suddenly jumped to life. There was a slight rocking movement accompanied by the whirring noise of the engine. On the screen, the chancellor wished all of them luck before the broadcast cut out and the screen went black. The noises of the ship grew louder and louder until it was all that any of them could hear. A few moments later the hatch was opened and the ship was unceremoniously released into space.

It felt like they were falling for a moment. Melody's stomach dropped and her grip on her harness tightened to the point that her knuckles turned white. Bit by bit the sound of the engine died down, until it was little more than a dull roar. The dropship began to float towards Earth, on a predetermined route that had been programmed into the mainframe. There was no turning back now, not that any of them would have had the option.

Over the sound of the engine, Melody could hear people laughing. The clinking sound of seatbelts being unbuckled caused her head to turn towards the direction of a few prisoners. One of them had undid his buckles and was floating in the air. Spacewalker, they called him. Others began to follow suit.

They'll be the first to go, Melody thought sadly with a shake of her head.

When the initial shock from the take-off was over, Melody seemed to have captured Jasper's attention once more. He gave her a funny look that must have mirrored her own just minutes before.

"Don't you get it, Melody?" Asked the optimistic boy as he continued to bounce his knee excitedly, smile in place once more. "No more days and nights spent rotting away in our cells. We're not coming down here to die. We could have done that just fine on the Ark. We're coming down here to live."

Melody hadn't had the chance to think of the situation as being even remotely positive. But now that Jasper had mentioned it, she had to admit that in a way he was right. She had spent the last four years locked up in a cell with no contact with the outside world. Now, she was in a dropship surrounded by ninety-nine other teenagers and nothing holding them back. Wasn't this what she had wanted for as long as she could remember?

Jasper's way of thinking was certainly more appealing. Definitely less 'gloom and doom.' Yet it was still hard for Melody to accept his way of thinking. All of his optimistic ideas revolved around a big if. If they made it to Earth. If they survived the radiation. If they managed to find supplies to get them through.

"Relax, Mel. We're gonna make it." Said Jasper, who had seen the worried look on Melody's face. "Trust me."

The look on his face was a look of pure determination. Although the odds were definitely stacked against them, Jasper had yet to lose hope. He was positive that they were going to make it out of this alive.

Maybe, Melody thought, she shouldn't have given up so soon.

"Alright." Melody gave a small nod and released a shaky breath. "I…I trust you."

Melody willed herself to be optimistic. To add to the effort, she forced herself to give Jasper a smile that was half-hearted at best. In return, the boy reached out and offered his balled up fist to her. Melody shyly extended her own hand to bump knuckles with the boy. A somewhat genuine smile lingered on her face as she thought of how surreal all of this was. The action of 'bumping knuckles' was so purely teenage. How long had it been since she was allowed to just be a teenager instead of a prisoner?

Just as their fists were about to connect, the ship lurched. Melody let out a shrill shriek as she felt the ship dropping once more, causing her body to jerk against the harness that held her to the seat. They were no longer floating through space, but rather plummeting towards the ground at an alarming rate. The only thing that Melody thought could have made this happen was if the dropship had entered the Earth's atmosphere.

A hand wrapped around her wrist tightly, and Melody turned her head to look at Jasper once more. The smile had vanished from the boy's face and was replaced with, for the first time, an alarmed look. His brown eyes were wide and he looked as if all of the color had been drained from his face. His gaze flickered across the ship, towards his friend from earlier. Once the other boy had flashed him a reassuring thumbs-up, Jasper focused all of his attention on Melody. His grip on her wrist tightened, as if he thought that by holding onto her he could somehow ensure her safety.

"Mel?" Jasper's voice sounded as anxious as he felt. He was waiting for her to give him the okay.

Melody drew in a deep breath and forced herself to give him a small nod. Jasper's grip on her wrist lessened only a tiny fraction. Her eyes slipped shut as she leaned her head back to rest it against the seat. Her heart was hammering against her ribcage, unwilling to be still no matter how much she tried to convince herself to be calm. Melody tried to focus on her breathing, which was slightly ragged, but focusing on any one thing in that moment was proving to be more difficult than she imagined.

All around her it sounded like things were falling apart. There was the sound of crashing and grinding, metal on metal and things breaking apart. Melody wouldn't have been surprised if the whole ship was getting ready to crumble. It was so old and the conditions of the Earth's atmosphere were unpredictable. All Melody could do was cringe backwards against the seat, as if by making herself smaller she could somehow survive the crash landing.

The sound of people screaming had Melody's eyes flying open. Something warm and heavy fell against her side, weighing her down. When Melody looked to her right she had to stifle a scream at the sight of a limp body belonging to one of the 'spacewalkers.' He hadn't been strapped into his seat when they entered the atmosphere and thus he'd suffered an injury to the head which had apparently killed him. With her free hand Melody shoved the body away from her before shivering and drawing further within herself.

Sparks flew everywhere. Bright flashes of golden orange bounced off of pieces of metal that were rubbing against each other. And then, the electricity failed. More screams echoed throughout the dropship when its inhabitants were enveloped in complete darkness. Melody drew in a sharp breath and clenched her jaw, willing herself not to cry out like the rest of them. Despite being seventeen years old, she was still very afraid of the dark. Bad things happened in the dark, when you had nobody to protect you.

The lights came back on, but only momentarily before they began to flicker again. Melody glanced over at Jasper. He was leaning back against his own seat, eyes squeezed tightly shut. His grip on her wrist was still just as tight as it had been before. Melody's fingers wrapped around his arm and she gave it a tight, reassuring squeeze. She was rewarded with a smile from the boy that she was quickly coming to depend on. The only constant right now was Jasper and the feel of his hand on hers. Jasper was steady. He was stable. He was the only thing that Melody was 100% sure of right now.

The lights flickered on and off, on and off, on and off. Shouldn't we have landed by now? Melody wondered to herself, trying not to revert to panicking once more. They had been within the gravitational pull of the Earth for a few minutes now. It should have been a straight drop after that, right to the surface. Melody assumed that the Ark would have equipped the dropship with something to slow their landing, but whatever it was it wasn't working. They were still heading towards the surface at full speed and everyone was finally panicking, as Melody had wanted all along.

"Jasper, shouldn't we have landed?" Melody's voice was loud over the sound of the commotion in the dropship. Everyone else seemed to be wondering the same question.

"It could take a few moments for the parachutes to deploy! Don't worry." Instructed a voice that did not belong to Jasper Jordan.

Melody sighed to herself and repeated the boy's words over and over again in her mind. Don't worry. Don't worry. Don't-

She was jarred from her thoughts when she felt the dropship suddenly begin to slow. The boy was right; the parachutes had just needed a few moments in order to deploy. Melody let out a breath she hadn't even realized she was holding and silently thanked whatever God there might be that they had managed to slow down. For a few minutes there she had thought that they were all goners.

They still hadn't escaped danger. They were simply falling at a slower pace than they had been before. Yet for some reason the slight change of pace seemed to ease their minds. The screaming came to an abrupt stop, although the slight twinge of panic remained in their voices. No one could guess at what waited for them down on Earth, but at least they weren't going to crash into its surface and go up in flames.

The dropship began to slow down and then suddenly it was coming to a stop. A loud thud noise filled the air and seemed to reverberate throughout Melody's bones as she was jerked against the straps once more. Finally, the ship stilled and everyone inside of it fell silent. They all seemed to be thinking the same thing.

What next?

A few minutes passed before anyone made an attempt to move. The landing hadn't been too hard on any of them. A few might have sustained minor scrapes and bruises or, like Melody, whiplash from seatbelts that were too loose. What kept them all in their seats was the sheer shock and relief at being alive. At first none of them moved, and then everything seemed to be happening all at once.

"Mel, you good?" Jasper's voice was a bit shaky as he turned to look at her. His grip on her hand had tightened significantly throughout the course of the landing and now she realized that it was almost to the point of pain.

"I'm fine, Jasper." Melody pried her hand away from his and then leaned forward to unbuckle herself from the seat. It was slightly amusing how often the two of them seemed to switch roles since they'd met. One moment Melody was being the worrisome mother hen, and in the next Jasper was the one making sure she was alright.

"Alright. Cool." Replied Jasper, who had copied her actions and was leaning forward to undo his own straps as quickly as possible. When Jasper stood up he wobbled slightly and had to reach out to brace his hand against the wall to keep from falling. Melody wasn't surprised by this; her own legs felt like a pile of Jell-O.

By the time Melody had unbuckled and was standing up, a third person had joined their little party. He introduced himself as Monty Green. He was the boy that Jasper had been talking to from across the ship, the one that he'd wanted to make sure was alright when the ship had begun to fall. Judging from the friendly embrace8 that the two boys shared, Melody could only assume that they were close.

"Monty, this is Melody." Jasper introduced the two before reaching out to draw Melody into a side-hug. His arm remained draped over her shoulder comfortably as he continued talking with the other boy, Monty. "She's with us now."

For the first time in a long time, Melody found herself grinning as she leaned against Jasper's side. His words warmed her through. She's with us now. Melody repeated the words in her mind and decided that she liked them. She'd never been 'with' anyone before. She kind of felt like she had been taken under Jasper's wing. And it was a good feeling. For the first time since she'd been locked up, Melody actually had a friend.

Things began to be set in motion when people started to get out of their seats. The delinquents broke off into groups and began talking, all of them wondering what the next step was. Melody, Jasper, and Monty got swept up in a large crowd that was moving towards the front of the dropship. Too short to see what was happening up front, Melody had to stand up on her tiptoes to make out the shapes ahead. She thought she saw people heading for the door.

"We can't just open the doors!"

Moments after the feminine voice rang out, a girl was shoving past Melody to get to the front. Mel didn't recognize the girl, but then again she didn't recognize many people. All she saw was the girl's back, but she could tell that the girl was both slender and blonde.

"Hey, back it up guys!" A new voice rang out, this one deeper and full of authority.

Like with the blonde girl, all Melody could see was the guy's back as he faced the door. At first, anyways. She watched as the blonde strode up to him, prompting the man to turn around and scowl at her.

He was older than the rest of them, but not by much. He was taller than the other boys, and he was broader than them too. He could have only been a handful of years older than Melody and the other delinquents on the ship. His skin was a darker shade of tan and he had hair that was thick, curly, and black. His dark brown eyes shone with a fierceness as he glared down at the blonde girl in front of him.

"The air could be toxic." She pointed out, her voice sounding slightly frantic. It reminded Melody of how she had sounded earlier, when trying to convince Jasper that he should be worried. She could definitely sympathize with the girl.

"If the air is toxic, we're all dead anyways." He retorted simply, hardly even giving the girl a second thought before he began to move towards the door once again.

Melody held her breath as she waited to see what would happen. Either he would succeed on opening the door, or the girl would fight him on it. There would be a power struggle in the near future, Melody guessed. They were both trying to take charge. The two of them looked like they had leadership potential, but they obviously didn't go about it the same way.

Just when things looked like they were about to get heated, a new voice rang out.

"Bellamy?"

The voice belonged to a girl. Melody's head slowly swung to the side, as did the most of the heads in the crowd. It was yet another girl that Melody didn't know, but this one looked familiar. She looked like the boy at the door. They had more similarities than Melody had ever seen between two people from the Ark. They both had the same thick, dark hair. They had the same olive-colored skin tone. They both had athletic builds and sharp features.

"Do you mind? I haven't seen my brother in a year."

The girl's next few words confirmed Melody's suspicions. Siblings. The girl was Octavia Blake, the one that they had found living under the floorboards. Even Melody had heard the story of the woman who had hidden her daughter away from the world for sixteen years. On the Ark siblings were a rarity. Couples were only allowed to have one child in order to conserve resources. To have more than one was to break the law. And if you got caught, you were floated and your child was sent to the Sky Box.

Whispers began to go up throughout the crowd, and then loud shouts. That's Octavia Blake! The girl they found under the floors! Melody listened to the jeers from the crowd, her green gaze locked on the girl who stood in front of the crowd.

Octavia quickly began to grow angry. She lunged for the group, reaching for one of the boys in the front, but she was quickly pulled away by her brother.

"Let's give them something else to remember you by." Bellamy suggested, smiling down at his sullen sister.

Octavia perked up slightly, giving Bellamy a curious look. "Like what?"

"Like being the first person on the ground in a hundred years."

Bellamy pulled the lever that opened up the dropship door. Light flooded into the room, momentarily blinding them all. It was a solid minute before any of them could squint through the sudden onslaught of sunshine. But then, they adjusted. They could see. They could smell. They could hear.

And they were home.


	2. Chapter 2

It was breathtaking.

Melody had pushed herself to the front of the crowd in order to stand at the front of the dropship. She stared out at the strange new world in awe, slack-jawed. She stood sandwiched between the dark-haired male, Bellamy, and the blonde girl whose name she still didn't know. Looking between the two, she noted that their reactions couldn't have been more different. Bellamy looked overjoyed. The blonde girl looked almost scared.

No one spoke as they all slowly took in their surroundings. They just stood there watching and listening and breathing it all in. Earth had the loveliest scent that Melody had ever encountered. It smelled of sunlight and soil and everything green. Best of all, it was warm. Real warmth, not the synthetic stuff produced on the Ark. Melody could feel the sunlight bathing her skin as she lingered near the front of the dropship.

Without thinking, Melody took a step forward. She hadn't even made it a full step before a strong hand was pressing against her hip, holding her in place. The girl tensed, her head snapping towards the owner of the wandering hand. Her green eyes narrowed at Bellamy, who was openly glaring at her. Their gazes clashed and the two of them seemed absorbed in a silent battle. Melody understood why Bellamy Blake was holding her back. This was a moment he had promised to Octavia. But now he was crossing unspoken boundaries.

Their eyes remained locked until Bellamy ever so slowly lowered his hand from her hip. He looked away first, turning his attention back towards Octavia. The girl had made her way towards the edge of the lowered dropship door and was staring out at the forest in fascination.

It seemed to Melody that they all held their breath as Octavia took the first hesitant step off of the door and onto the ground. We did it, Melody thought to herself with a surprised smile. The girl let out a shaky laugh as she watched Octavia throw her hands in the air victoriously.

"We're back, bitches!"

The air was filled with the sound of whooping and laughter as the 100 filed out of the dropship. It seemed as if they couldn't move fast enough. People were tripping over themselves in order to get outside. They all wanted to know the feeling of the ground beneath their boots. They wanted to run their fingers through the green leaves and they wanted to fill their lungs up with the sweet, sweet oxygen that had been deprived of them on the Ark.

They wanted to truly live.

While the others ran forward, whooping and shouting as they explored their new home, Melody tentatively crept towards the edge of the dropship door. Her gaze fell upon the ground below them and she watched it closely, as if afraid it might all disappear in the blind of an eye. We made it. They were on Earth. Earth, the inhabitable planet. Against all odds they had landed safely and they weren't being affected by any sort of radiation. They had completed the Ark's mission; they were free.

Melody continued to stare at the ground below her. It looked so soft, yet firm. The dark soil was laced with patches of bright green. It took Melody a few moments to identify the somewhat foreign plant. Grass. It was grass. She had made it to Earth and she was surrounded by real, live grass. It was an extremely strange thought, but one that delighted her nonetheless. Grass! It was grass! The Ark had dirt to grow their crops, but they didn't have grass. Grass was a plant that grew naturally on the forest floor. It was something that Melody had only ever read about in books.

Suddenly, she wanted to touch it. She wanted to just lay down in the middle of the field and roll around on the ground. She wanted to pick the grass and feel how soft or how rough it was. She wanted to gather the soil and let it filter through her fingers. She wanted it all. The need to do everything at once was almost overwhelming.

Just as Melody went to take the step that would put her on the ground, she found her feet suddenly swept out from underneath her as she was wrapped up in Jasper's strong embrace.

"We made it Mel!"

Jasper swung her around and around in countless circles until Melody's head was spinning and she was laughing loudly. One of his arms was wrapped around her back and the other was supporting her bent knees. Melody was struck by the realization that she had never been this close with someone before. She had never interacted with another human being in such a way. It was fun. Weightless. It made her giddy and filled her with a childlike sense of joy.

"We made it." He repeated as the two of them staggered to a slow stop. "We made it."

Melody wrapped one arm loosely around Jasper's shoulders and threw the other in the air, victorious. "We made it!"

"Hey, I made it too." Teased Monty, who had come up behind them. "You aren't the only two people in the world, you know."

Melody laughed in response. She slid out of Jasper's arms and slowly, but surely, made her way over towards Monty. They had twirled one too many times and she was left staggering as a result. Once the world stopped spinning, Melody stumbled into Monty and gripped his arm tightly, partially to steady herself and partially just to establish some sort of contact between the two of them. The last thing she wanted was for him to feel left out.

"We made it, Monty!" Amended Melody, reaching up to ruffle the boy's hair. Of course Monty laughed and ducked away from her, half-heartedly whining about how she was going to mess up his hair. But the grin that spread across his face let Melody know that he was happy that she'd included him.

"Are we going to sit here talking about how we made it?" Asked Jasper. "Or are we going to get out there and see what all the fuss is about?"

"You're right." Jasper's words had pulled Melody back to reality and once more her attention was focused on the world around them.

It was still so surreal to think that they had actually made it to Earth. Melody had always been infatuated with the world that had once been -and would again be- home to the human race. She loved learning about the plants and the animals and the way the world had once worked. Earth skills had been one of her favorite classes when she was younger. Yet what she'd been taught in class wasn't what she was experiencing now. They had been taught that the radiation from the nuclear wars wiped out everything in its path. Perhaps once it had, but now everything looked…well, it looked normal. A little overgrown maybe, but normal.

Either the radiation on the planet was killing her very, very slowly or it was gone. Melody wasn't an expert on the subject, but if she had to guess than she would guess the latter. A century seemed like enough time for the radiation to disappear or whatever, restoring the Earth to its normal state of being. And if it wasn't gone, shouldn't they all have dropped dead the moment the dropship doors were open?

The three of them began to wander aimlessly, taking in their surroundings. They'd been dropped in the middle of an overgrown forest. The trees were so tall that Melody had to lean backwards and crane her neck just to look up at them. Even then she couldn't see where the trees ended and the sky began. Some were so thick in diameter that she couldn't even wrap her arms around them. Green leaves hung from the branches in thick patches, sometimes accompanied by green vine-like plants that connected the trees with massive green canopies.

"Isn't this amazing?" Asked Melody, speaking more to herself than to the boys.

She ran her hand along the rough bark of the nearest tree. The feeling was foreign, but it was close to what Melody had imagined bark to feel like. She ran her fingers up the length of the tree base to caress the leaves of the low-hanging branches. Thoroughly fascinated, Melody plucked one of the green leaves from its spot on the branch and brought it closer for examination.

On the Ark there had only been one tree, cultivated in a section of the ship that Melody had never even stepped foot on. Not everyone was allowed the same luxuries on the Ark. Melody and many others had been deprived of seeing anything even remotely linked to nature. Because of this, she'd spent countless hours poring over various books that focused on the Earth's environment. The faded pictures paled in comparison to the real thing.

"This is amazing." Jasper agreed. "If we can find the right herbs…"

He trailed off and looked over at Monty. The other boy wore a grin that stretched from ear to ear and the two of them snickered quietly as they continued to walk along. Melody felt puzzled by the exchange, but she was too absorbed in stroking the tender leaf in her hands that she didn't care to ask any questions.

The books she'd read on the Ark were proving to come in handy as Melody thought of all the possible ways they could put the vegetation to good use. There had to be some plants that were edible. And if not, surely they could at least make some variant of tree-bark soup. It sounded and probably tasted horrible, but if they couldn't find any animals…if there weren't any animals, then they would have to find something to sustain themselves. Lots of soups could be made from the things littering the forest floors.

If they were lucky, maybe they could find some fruit bearing trees. Apples or oranges or bananas…bushes filled with berries or nuts. It was wishful thinking after everything the Earth had been put through in the last century, but Melody remained hopeful that some things had stayed the same. Did trees still produce sap? Maybe they could find a way to tap into it and start collecting. She knew that it could easily be made into syrup, what with a bit of boiling water. And water would be easy to boil if they could only make a fire. How hard could it be? Rubbing two sticks together. And if they got a fire maybe they could have torches and lamps…

She was getting ahead of herself. Melody didn't even know how long they would last on this strange planet. The thought of still being there when winter rolled around was both frightening and exhilarating. She'd never experienced the change of the seasons on the Ark. She'd never felt the rain against her skin, she'd never jumped in a pile of leaves, never made a snowman or jumped into a lake on a hot day. Melody wanted to do all of those things so badly that she could taste it. And yet, she was afraid. Afraid of not knowing what lay ahead, afraid of not knowing how to survive in this strange new world.

If they wanted to survive on Earth, they were going to need to get to the supplies that Chancellor Jaha had mentioned. They were in an old bunker or something, on a mountain. It was up to them to find it. And if they didn't…well, Melody didn't want to think about that. They were also going to have to learn how to make the basic essentials. Weapons, for starters. She wasn't sure how many of the 100 were survivalists, but she wouldn't guess very many. At least Melody had a little bit of knowledge. She knew about a lot of the plants, which were safe to eat and which could be turned into medicine. A small tidbit of information, but one that she hoped would be useful later on.

The only thing that could have snapped Melody out of her daze was the sound of Jasper's loud and slightly panicked voice. Her green gaze shot towards the boy, who was standing in front of the dropship. He'd been talking to the blonde girl, the one whose name Melody had never learned. The one who hadn't wanted them to open the doors. Right now her name wasn't important, nor was her cause, nor was anything about her. All Melody could focus on was another guy's hand as it wrapped itself around Jasper's arm to shove him roughly away from the girl. The sight of Jasper being roughly manhandled by the other guy sparked something deep inside of her, some sort of primal instinct. For the first time in her life, Melody had the urge to stay and fight rather than flee.

Green eyes narrowed as she looked at the bully, a dark-skinned giant with a fierceness in his brown eyes. She knew him immediately; Wells Jaha, the chancellor's son. On the Ark he had practically ruled, but down here…down here he was no one special. No one important. He couldn't just go around calling the shots and doing whatever he wanted. Melody suddenly had the urge to make him realize that. She didn't know how, but she didn't stop to think about it.

She had only taken a few steps in their direction when Monty's arm shot out and blocked her path. When Melody went to move past him, that same arm wound itself tightly around her midsection and Monty pulled her close.

"Hey!" Melody protested, sending him a sharp look. "What gives?"

"Melody." Monty's voice was low and serious. "You don't want to go over there."

He tilted his head in that direction once more, and for the first time Melody realized that there were others gathering around the scene. A small pack of boys, all of them big and beefy and looking like they wanted any excuse to get their hands bloody. There had to be at least ten of them standing around Wells and Jasper. Their leader was a tall, well-built boy with sandy brown hair that he wore brushed back away from his face. To Melody, he looked like any of the rest of them. He looked normal.

And then he opened his mouth.

"Hands off him, Chancellor Jr. He's with us." The boy said.

His voice was dark and commanding. He wasn't asking; he was giving Wells an order. And yet, he didn't sound as if he wanted the other boy to listen to him. In fact, he almost sounded as if he wanted Wells to defy him. It was if he was looking for any excuse to beat, or maybe even kill, the boy who had once held such an important title on the Ark. People could be bitter and resentful towards not only the chancellor, but anyone involved with him. Simply out of jealousy. But this wasn't the Ark. Down here, there were no social classes. They were all criminals. Some just happened to be more dangerous than others.

Much to Melody's surprise, Wells released Jasper. He turned to look at the leader of the misfits with his hands raised in a universal sign for surrender. Some of the other boys seemed to visibly deflate, as if upset that there wasn't going to be a fight.

"Relax. We're not looking for trouble." Wells said calmly. "Just trying to figure out where we are."

"We're on the ground." Said Bellamy firmly. "That not enough for you?"

He seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. One moment he was nowhere to be seen and in the next he was standing amidst a small crowd that had gathered to watch the scene. By his side stood Octavia, who was watching silently but with an almost bored expression on her face. It was obvious that she didn't care about any of this.

Melody decided to tune out the rest of the conversation. She wasn't interested in a pissing contest. She didn't care who came out on top. All she cared about was making sure Jasper was alright. She strode the last few feet that separated them, with Monty in tow, and the two of them stopped just before Jasper who was standing away from the crowd now.

"Are you alright, Jasper?" Asked Melody, her voice laced with concern as she looked him over for any sign of outwardly harm. "Did he hurt you?"

Melody didn't have much experience in the friends department, considering the fact that she'd never really had any. But one thing she did know was that you were supposed to stick up for your friends no matter what. Even if you were afraid, even if you couldn't fight your way out of a wet paper bag, even if you were a scrawny redhead, you still had to try. And so, when Wells had challenged one of the only two friends she had, Melody took it personally.

It was hard to explain the connection she felt with Jasper. The two of them had met less than an hour ago and yet Melody knew that if asked, she would follow him to the ends of the Earth. She'd almost gotten into her first fight ever over him, and simply on a whim. That wasn't like Melody, but she felt a sense of loyalty towards the boy. He'd been there for her during the crash landing. He had been the one to hold her hand and tell her it was going to be okay. He had made her smile when she was scared. He had made her laugh when it seemed impossible. Jasper was her friend and that meant something to Melody.

"I'm fine, Mel." When Melody didn't look convinced, Jasper held out his arms and spun in a slow circle. "See? Not a scratch on me."

Melody was satisfied.

She turned her attention back towards the small gathering of people. Once she had eased her way to the front of the crowd, she could make out the conversation. Bellamy and Blondie were going at it again, arguing over what was best for the group. Blondie thought that they should all go out and look for supplies in a place she called Mount Weather. Bellamy thought that Blondie and Wells, as the two privileged members of the group, should go by themselves. No matter how much Blondie and Wells tried to talk sense into Bellamy, who wouldn't budge. And no one else seemed to agree with them, either.

Someone shoved Melody aside as they strode to the front of the group. She stumbled slightly, only to be caught and steadied by both Jasper and Monty who had been standing right beside her. A frown tugged at her lips and she rubbed at her aching shoulder while watching the leader of the misfit boys stroll into the mix of people. He wore a sinister smile on his face as he came to a stop in front of Wells.

The boy lurched forward and shoved Wells away from him. The leader mocked Wells, calling him The Chancellor of Earth. Melody's stomach twisted at the sight. You had the leader, with a sort of bloodlust in his eyes, and then you had Wells who looked weary and unwilling to fight. It was obvious that he wanted to solve their problems with words. She didn't know much about him, but she did know that if she had to choose for someone to make the rules, she would pick Wells over the other guy any day.

The leader knocked Wells' feet out from under him next, with a single swipe. It was surprising how weak and defenseless Wells looked as he lay there, sprawled out on his back. Much to Melody's surprise, he got back up. He scurried to his feet and then began to back away, leaning heavily on his right leg. Both hands came up to protect his face as he turned towards the leader boy once more, ready for the fight. And despite Wells' limp, the other boy advanced, looking eager.

All of a sudden, a boy dropped down from the top of the dropship and put himself between Wells and the leader. As he stood up and brushed back his shaggy hair, there was a chorus of delighted 'oohs' and 'ahhs' from the crowd. The boy looked pleased, maybe even a little smug as he stood there, waiting with his hands in the pockets of his jacket.

"Kid's got one leg." The boy pointed out. "How about you wait until it's a fair fight?"

There were a few moments of hesitation. The leader looked like he would rather go up against both of them than back down. It was his type, Melody supposed. Arrogant punk who cares more about putting on a decent show than about being a decent person. She half expected him to say 'screw it' and go for both of them. And yet, he slowly eased his way away from the crowd with an annoyed huff.

Octavia came strolling up to the shaggy-haired boy as soon as the show was over with a taunting, "Hey, Spacewalker. How about you rescue me next?"

Spacewalker. He was the one who had climbed out of his seat in order to 'spacewalk' before the dropship had come into contact with a gravitational pull. He was the one who had made it look cool, resulting in the death of two or three other delinquents. Whatever bit of respect Melody had for him, respect gained when he stood up for Wells, faded away as she realized this.

All at once the crowd dispersed in a fit of laughter, everyone going their own separate ways. The little brawl had been nothing more than a means of entertainment, a way to curb both their curiosity and boredom. And if they had been taking it seriously before, Octavia succeeded in turning the whole thing into a joke. A joke that she was paying for, as Bellamy angrily dragged her away from the rest of the delinquents.

Melody didn't really know what she was supposed to do next. She trailed after Jasper and Monty like a lost little puppy. They had joined a few of the others, some boys that Melody didn't recognize.

"Hey guys, this is Mel." Monty introduced as she joined their little group. "Melody, these are our friends, Jacob and Fletcher."

The boys were quick to reintroduce themselves as Jake and Fletch. Melody smiled at them and shook each of their hands in turn. It was an action that felt entirely foreign, but it was what they expected of her and so she did it.

"You guys knew each other on the Ark?" Asked Melody. Small talk wasn't really her forte, but she was making an attempt.

"Oh we go way back." Said Jake. "Took the same classes in school."

"And what about you, Mel?" Asked the one they called Fletch. "Surely I would remember a face as pretty as yours."

It should have been a smooth pick up line. And, paired with the charming smile he sent her way, it should have made Melody's heart race. Maybe she would have even blushed if not for the fact that her gut suddenly tightened in fear and she found it difficult to breathe. Talk about heart racing. There it was, the crippling fear of being exposed for what she was; a murderer.

What did she tell them? That she'd killed a man? That was entirely out of the question. And yet, what other excuse could she give for why she, a seventeen year old girl, had never been to high school?

"I, uh…" She trailed off, palms sweating. She tried swallowing down the lump that seemed to have formed in her throat, but it was useless. "Well, it's kind of complicated…"

Melody found that she didn't have to answer. At that moment the one they called Spacewalker came up and pulled Monty and Jasper away from their little group. Melody felt entirely vulnerable with no one by her side, and so she quickly apologized to Fletch and Jake before excusing herself.

She found them circled around Blondie, their heads together as they discussed something. Putting two and two together, she assumed that they were trying to recruit people for the Mount Weather expedition. Why else would Blondie be gathering troops?

Melody walked up just in time to hear Octavia say, "Make it five."

Five of them were going? And strangely, Wells was nowhere in sight despite how hard he'd been fighting for the cause earlier. It was just Blondie, Spacewalker, Monty, Jasper, and Octavia. And now Melody.

She didn't know much about what she was getting herself into as she stepped forward. All she knew was that she couldn't let her two new friends go off on an adventure all by themselves. More importantly, she couldn't let them leave her all by herself. And so, there was only one solution to her problem.

"No." Melody said, giving a small shake of her head. "Make it six."


	3. Chapter 3

Five out of six members of the group were in no hurry to get to Mount Weather. They took their time, dawdling in the sunshine and stopping to pick flowers wherever they happened to pop up. Never before had any of them seen such a beautiful sight. And they were bound and determined to enjoy every second of it. All of them except for one…Blondie. Or as Melody had heard Wells and Spacewalker call her, Clarke.

In fact, the blonde looked at the five of them with little patience. "Hey, guys. Would you try to keep up?" Clarke asked them, clearly irritated that they would rather be messing around and discussing something like poison sumac than looking for this mountain.

A scowl marred Melody's face as she looked at the blonde female who had been calling the shots thus far. Although Mel knew that it was important to get the supplies she couldn't help but to feel a bit annoyed by Clarke's constant prodding. It didn't bother her that Clarke had took charge; after all, someone had to. What bothered her was how completely oblivious the girl seemed to be in regards to everything going on around them.

"How do you block this all out?" Questioned Finn, aka Spacewalker. He and Melody seemed to be on the same wavelength.

Clarke looked at Finn with a slight frown on her face. "It's simple. I wonder, why haven't we seen any animals? Maybe it's because there are none. Maybe we've already been exposed to enough radiation to kill us." Retorted Clarke, looking at them all with the eyes of a disproving mother. "Sure is pretty though." She tacked on sarcastically, before turning away from them and continuing on.

There were a few beats of silence as she walked away before Octavia spoke. "Someone should slip her some poison sumac." The girl commented, earning small smiles and laughter from the four of them.

The five of them began to walk once more, with Finn in the lead and Melody hanging in the back. Jasper and Monty walked side by side ahead of her, and ahead of them was Octavia. Melody took her time, saying nearly nothing as they all followed after Clarke. Mel was rather content to observe the four of them as they talked amongst themselves; she'd been doing it for most of their journey. When she watched, Melody noticed things that she wouldn't otherwise pick up on. For example, only she saw Octavia send admirable glances in Finn's direction whenever she thought no one was looking. And Melody watched as Finn either didn't notice those secret looks or didn't care to return them.

And there were other things that she had noticed. Like the way Jasper's laugh had lasted just a little bit longer than the rest of theirs' when Octavia has spoken. And how his warm, brown eyes hardly ever glanced in any direction other than Octavia's. This revelation caused a sharp stab of jealousy to hit Melody in her gut. She watched the two with narrowed eyes, wanting nothing more than to step between them and demand Jasper's attention. Apparently, Melody wasn't the only one observing…

A sheepish look fell upon her face as her eyes met Monty's. She'd been caught. Mel offered a weak smile, which Monty returned before quickly shifting his eyes forward once more. And that was when Melody realized something; he was a bit jealous himself. And Monty's jealousy only seemed to heighten her own.

Jasper's our friend. Melody thought selfishly, forcing herself to keep a neutral face when all she really wanted to do was glare at Octavia's back. It was unreasonable for her to be jealous over Jasper's little crush. But damn it, she was. Octavia already had somebody; Bellamy. Octavia wasn't alone down here. Aside from Jasper, Mel had no one. Sure, she had Monty, but Jasper was their common ground. Without Jasper, neither one of them had someone to rely on. And Octavia was not going to steal him away from them.

Melody was lost in her thoughts like usual. She didn't notice that they had begun sharing stories about how they'd gotten put into prison until Monty and Jasper were nearly finished explaining.

"Someone forgot to replace what we took." Jasper said, his voice heavily laced with accusation as he looked at Monty, who replied with, "I've apologized like a thousand times."

Melody rolled her eyes at the two boys and smiled. And that's when something clicked in her brain, and she found herself laughing softly as Mel recalled a certain conversation that had left her puzzled earlier.

"Amazing. If we can find the right herbs…" Jasper trailed off as he looked at Monty, who wore a grin that stretched from ear to ear.

Now, it all made sense.

"What about you, Octavia? What were you in for?" Jasper asked the girl suddenly, a smile spreading across his face at the thought of getting closer to the girl. As his smile grew wider, Melody's faded.

It was a few moments before Octavia replied. "Being born." And with that, she bounded away from their small group and towards Clarke, who had paused just a few yards ahead of them.

"Dude, that was so not game." Monty told Jasper, earning himself a light punch in the arm. Monty returned the punch, and then Jasper, and then Monty. It ended with Jasper sending his friend a warning glance before walking forward, after Octavia. Melody turned to look at Monty and the two of them wore identical grins. She held her hand up and the two of them high-fived before they jogged after Jasper.

Melody didn't know what all of the fuss was about, but Clarke, Finn, and Octavia were knelt in the grass and staring out at an open field. When she and Monty approached Clarke put one finger to her lips and shushed them. Melody frowned in confusion as she and Monty flanked each side of Jasper. She was about to ask him what was going on when she saw it.

A deer.

Eyes wide in awe, Melody seemed to hold in her breath as she looked across the field at the majestic creature. There's animals on Earth. She thought to herself, excitement growing inside of her. If there were deer then there could easily be other animals like bears and cows and pigs; all sources of food that could help them survive the winter. And not to mention the butterflies and birds and all of the small, beautiful creatures that she had read about in nature books back on the Ark.

Mel looked up and saw that Jasper was smiling down at her. She returned the smile before her eyes flickered back in the direction of the deer. It just stood there, tail twitching happily as it grazed. It's beautiful…so innocent. And pure. Melody thought this to herself, not wanting to say the words aloud for fear of sounding stupid.

"No animals, huh?" Finn asked Clarke quietly, a grin on his face as he cautiously took a step forward. He moved silently for the first few steps as he attempted to get closer to the deer. All seemed to be going well. And then, a branch snapped.

The deer jerked to attention in a matter of moments, its head rising swiftly as it heard the noise. No one moved a muscle as they looked at the deer, waiting for something to happen. Its head swiveled in their direction and the gasp that left their lips was unanimous. Growing off of the deer's face was another face. Not a complete face; it was more like another mouth. The split between the two faces was red and puffy and made their stomachs flip. Melody turned sharply, burying her face in Jasper's side at the sight of the mutated deer. The boy wrapped one arm around her shoulder, but he never dragged his gaze away from the deer.

They all seemed to be stunned into silence for a few moments before the deer bounded away from them. No one said anything for a while. They just remained crouching, no one quite sure what to do or say. It was Clarke who regained her composure first, with a quiet "Let's get going."

They walked for a while then, in the same formation as earlier. Octavia and Finn were in the lead with Jasper and Monty behind them. This time, however, Melody was walking between the two boys rather than behind them. Surprisingly, Clarke was at the very end of the line.

The discussion had moved onto why the Ark had decided to send them down to Earth. It was Finn who posed the question, curious as to why they were being sent down today, after 97 years. Melody couldn't answer him, because she had no idea as to what had changed. She didn't care to know what had changed. Melody and Octavia had the same view on things; they'd woke up as prisoners and were now free women. Neither of them wanted to question why.

Monty had a few suggestions, but it was Clarke who had the concrete answer. "The Ark is dying." She said simply, once more making her way to the front of the group as the rest of them stopped to glance at her curiously. "With the current population level there is roughly three months of oxygen left."

Clarke went on to explain that her father had been the one to find the flaw in the system. That was why he had been floated, and that was why she had been locked up in solitary. To keep the secret from the public. That was why they had chosen today for The 100 to come down. If they lived, the Ark would come down, too. And if they didn't, they'd bought the remaining people on the Ark some more time.

"They're going to kill more people?" Monty asked, his words more of a question than a statement, but it was hindering in between the two. Clarke didn't respond, but her silence was louder than any words she could have spoken.

The words registered with Melody slowly. She faintly heard Octavia say something that sounded snarky before she bounded off, and she watched as Jasper chased after her. But Melody's main focus was on the loud ringing in her ears as fear shot through her veins. Roughly three months left. That meant that in three months' time, if they didn't convince the Ark that Earth was safe, everyone on it would be dead. Her mother would be dead. Her mother whom she loved more than anyone, whom she had gone to great lengths to care for and protect while still on the Ark. The image of her mother slowly dying from the lack of oxygen caused Melody's heart to skip a beat.

"You okay, Mel?" Monty had noticed that she was falling behind. His dark eyes looked at her, filled with concern, and Melody felt a weak smile spread across her face.

"Fine. Just…thinking." Melody explained half-heartedly, shrugging her shoulders. Monty nodded his head, although he didn't look completely convinced.

"Well let's catch up to the rest of them." Monty suggested.

Melody realized then how far behind they were. She nodded to Monty and the two of them were suddenly jogging to catch up to the rest of the group. When they did manage to reach the others, the group had gone from six to five. Looking ahead, Melody saw Octavia beginning to undress on some rocks that were above a small body of water.

"Damn. I love Earth." Jasper's words earned him a sharp elbow to the ribs as Melody glared up at him. Have some respect. She thought to herself before shaking her head and following after Octavia.

Mel reached the rocks just as Octavia dove into the water. Gasping, she and the others ran for the edge of the rocks. Melody stumbled slightly, nearly falling into the water in her desperate attempt to spot Octavia. Only Finn's strong arm kept her from going headfirst into the dark and dangerous river. She shot him a thankful look before turning her eyes back towards the water.

"Octavia! We can't swim." Monty pointed out, his voice laced with concern for the girl, which Melody also felt.

It was funny how just half an hour earlier she had been silently cursing the girl for stealing Jasper's affections. And now, here Melody was, her heart beating wildly in her chest as she thought about something bad happening to Octavia. They may not be friends just yet; hell, they may not ever be friends. But nevertheless, they were all linked. We're the 100. Melody thought to herself, as explanation for her sudden fear. We're one. If she gets hurt, she's one of ours.

"Yeah, but we can stand!" Octavia's self-assured leer as she stood up in the water caused relief to torrent through Melody's body.

"There shouldn't be a river here." Clarke was obviously puzzled by this unexpected landmark which hadn't been on her map.

"Well there is. So take off your damn clothes." Finn teased her, grinning as he went to follow his own instructions.

The boys began removing their clothes right away. Even Melody considered it for a moment. Swimming. She could go swimming. On the Ark there was not enough water for people to drink let alone swim in. Hell, they were lucky they got to bathe…But as tempting as it was to give in to her desires, Melody would rather not undress in front of a bunch of strangers. If she got into the water, she would be wet; walking around wet was not on the top of her to-do list. So, she refrained.

They were all too busy with the prospect of going swimming to see the danger in it. In fact, it was Jasper who first spotted the sea serpent and warned them. "Octavia, get out of the water." Jasper instructed urgently, his eyes wide.

Melody followed his gaze and frowned as she saw something dark and very long rushing towards where Octavia stood. Everyone else seemed to spot it in a matter of moments. Rather than listening to Jasper, Octavia turned around to see what he was talking about. "Get out of the water. Now!" But she didn't have time.

The girl's scream was cut short as the sea serpent latched onto her and dragged her beneath the water. Melody watched with terrified eyes as Octavia thrashed about, being dragged this way and that. Melody thought for sure that she was a goner…but then, she surfaced.

Octavia screamed and thrashed as she attempted to swim towards the surface. She wasn't quite quick enough, because in a matter of seconds the sea serpent had once again latched onto her body. The five of them watched as Octavia was dragged back and forth through the water.

"What do we do!?"

Melody didn't know who had asked the question. She didn't care. When Clarke instructed them to help her, Melody did it without question. The only thought on her mind was saving Octavia's life. And, as she rolled the heavy rock into the water in an attempt to distract the sea creature, all Melody could think about was how often she found herself in situations like this. Situations where she was looking death in the face and trying to help someone she cared for escape it.

The rock made enough noise that it got the creature's attention. The serpent released Octavia and began to swim for the rock, which was sinking to the bottom of the river. Melody looked over to see Octavia still attempting to tread water, obviously too scared to remember that she could stand up. There were several shouts telling her to get to shore, but Octavia seemed to forget how to do so.

Jasper was the one to take action. He jumped into the water without a second thought and wrapped his arms around Octavia as he steered them both towards the shore. No, no, no! Melody bit down on her bottom lip hard enough to taste blood. Her fear escalated immensely as she watched the two of them move towards shore.

"It's coming back!" Someone shouted, only causing the tension and panic within Melody to rise.

Mel watched wordlessly as Jasper and Octavia fought tooth-and-nail to get out of the water. Her heart was racing and there was an anxiousness in her body that she had never known before. Please don't let them die. She prayed silently, to whatever God might be left.

Every second seemed like an hour. Melody moved forward, towards the rocks that the two of them were headed for. She bent down, eagerly urging them forward. "Come on! Hurry!" Mel begged, watching as somehow they managed to drag themselves ashore. The two had barely escaped the wrath of the creature, but they had. And for that Melody was grateful.

She knelt by Jasper's side, watching intently as Clarke ripped off a piece of his shirt to wrap it around Octavia's leg. The petrified girl clung to Jasper, thanking him over and over. Monty made a comment about how he planned on saving the girl next time, causing a breathless laugh to leave Melody's lips. She didn't have enough energy to envy Octavia right now, nor would she even if the situation was different. All that mattered to her was that they were safe.

For now, anyways.

|oOo|

They had to sleep in the forest.

Melody was a bit uneasy at the thought of laying out in the open, but there was nothing that she could do about it. They had no choice in the matter, seeing as how there weren't any friendly neighbors opening their homes to them in a ten-mile radius. Or a twenty-mile radius. Or anywhere.

She let the boys pick where they wanted to sleep; not that there were very many options. Jasper wanted to keep Octavia close, and neither Melody nor Monty protested. He's her rock now. Melody thought to herself, noting the way Octavia was suddenly looking at Jasper. The thought hurt her a little bit, but she forced herself to push the hurt away. He's not yours. She was crazy for thinking that she somehow had this claim on him just because he'd been nice to her.

They ended up sleeping with their backs against a large tree, near where Clarke had settled down in the grass. Jasper had settled down first, propped up against the tree in what looked like an extremely uncomfortable position. He didn't complain though, because shortly after he had laid down Octavia curled up in his lap. That must have eased some of his suffering. Monty did the same thing as Jasper, grimacing as he attempted to lean back to no avail. Less enthusiastic now, Mel curled up between the two of them, using the tree as sort of a head-rest. Her body was curled to the side, towards Monty, and her head just barely rested against the base of the tree. Honestly, it wasn't as uncomfortable as one would think.

Surprisingly, Melody slept better than she had in a long time. There was no tossing and turning in the middle of the night. She didn't awake suddenly and draw in shallow breaths to stay alive because the oxygen in the prison was significantly lower than anywhere else. Despite the situation she was not uncomfortable. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Tucked between her two friends, Melody felt as if she were swaddled in a blanket of security. And she slept like a baby all night long.

Warm sunshine on her face and the feeling of Monty stirring next to her woke Melody the following morning. She blinked a few times before her green eyes focused on Monty's face. A sleepy smile spread across her face as she saw him already looking at her, a goofy grin on his face.

"Morning." Mel said quietly, her voice soft and groggy as she attempted to rub the sleep from her eyes. "Were you watching me sleep?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Monty's smile dropped immediately and his eyes widened. "What? No, I…I was just waking up. And you looked so...so peaceful. Not worried like you normally are." He explained, looking panicked.

"Relax, Monty." Melody said, giggling as she looked at his terrified expression. As fun as it would be to bait him, Mel thought he may have an anxiety attack if she tried. "I was just joking."

His comment about her looking peaceful when she wasn't worried was not lost on Melody. It was true, she did worry a lot. But that was because this world was a dangerous place. The Ark had been dangerous, now Earth was dangerous…She couldn't seem to get a break. None of them could. And if she didn't worry, who would? Clarke maybe. She seemed to have her head on straight. But the rest of them? They looked at this like it was some vacation. And that scared her more than anything.

"What're you two talkin' 'bout?" Muttered Jasper as he turned onto his side to face them.

Mel rolled onto her back so that they could include Jasper in their conversation. "Monty was just watching me sleep." Melody whispered, expecting Jasper to be just as creeped out as she had pretended to be.

"Not surprised." The boy said softly, instead. "You look different when you sleep."

The words brought a scowl to Melody's face. She quickly looked between the two of them, wondering what it was about her that was so different when she slept.

"Different how?" Mel asked curiously, pushing herself up on her elbows to look at the two boys. Was she really that bad when she was awake? Mel knew that she had been rather sullen the day before, but she hadn't thought that it was so obvious.

"I don't know. You just kind of look…" Jasper trailed off as he waved one hand in the air, looking for the perfect word.

The soft crunch of twigs beneath a pair of boots announced Octavia's arrival. She must have woken up before the three of them and wandered off somewhere. "Approachable." Octavia suggested for Jasper. He snapped his fingers and nodded, as if to say "that's the word."

A very unladylike snort could be heard from Melody as she pushed herself to her feet and looked at Octavia. "Because you are so approachable, Octavia Blake." Mel said sarcastically, crossing her arms over her chest.

The words were not supposed to be rude, and luckily Octavia took them the way Melody had meant for them to be taken. The brunette winked at Melody before she turned around and began to make her way to Clarke and Finn, who were talking strategy. Mel felt a bit satisfied with the exchange. She and Octavia weren't friends, but maybe they could be…The sound of Monty and Jasper sitting up caused her attention to shift back to them.

"Approachable?" Melody demanded suddenly, the word coming out like a hiss as she narrowed her eyes first at Jasper and then at Monty. "I'm not approachable?" The two boys had the decency to look sheepish.

"You look approachable." Monty said, offering her a wide smile. As if that made it any better.

"Yeah, totally." Jasper agreed, nodding his head. "It's not until after someone approaches you that they realize you're all frowns and worry-lines."

A gasp left Melody's lips as she pressed her fingertips against her forehead. The skin there was as smooth as ever. It was then that she realized Jasper was just screwing with her. Of course she didn't have worry lines. It had just been so long since anyone had teased her like this.

"Assholes." Melody said, nudging Jasper not-so gently with the toe of her boot.

The two of them laughed in response and Monty extended his hand towards her. After a moment's hesitation, Melody took his hand and helped the boy to his feet. She repeated the action with Jasper, who was still laughing.

Finally, Melody cracked and a smile found its way onto her face. She went to elbow Jasper in the ribs, but he dodged it and just wrapped his arm around her shoulders in response. Rolling her eyes, Mel allowed Jasper to pull her against his side. She stumbled slightly and leaned against him as they began to walk towards the rest of their little group.

"You know you love us, Mellie." Monty said in a sing-song voice as he reached out with one hand to ruffle her hair. The nickname was unfamiliar, but not unwelcome. In fact, it sent an odd surge of warmth through her.

"Hey!" Melody protested, grinning even as she brushed the reddish-orange tendrils of hair back behind her ears. Mel was quickly learning that she couldn't be mad at the two of them. They were just so damn charming. One look from Jasper or a smile from Monty and her heart just seemed to melt. Damn, having friends felt good.

"Alright, guys. We're got a lot of ground to cover." Clarke's authoritative voice resonated through the small field. "We'd better move out."

The game plan was the same as if had been the day before; find Mount Weather. Clarke promised that they were close to it. She claimed that it was only a few miles away, but a few miles felt like a few hundred. Melody didn't know how long they had been walking, but it had gone by slowly. And that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It had given them time to enjoy themselves and the area around them.

But by this point, Melody was ready to get back to the camp. She didn't know if she could spend another night out in the open. It made her feel so vulnerable. They had already learned that they weren't the biggest or baddest things on Earth. Mel didn't want to find out who was even bigger and even badder.

They seemed to walk for a short amount of time before they came to across their first "real" obstacle. It was another small body of water, one that they had no intention of wading across. Octavia had already suffered the consequences, and the others had no desire to learn from experience. All hope seemed lost, until Finn spotted something that could help; a thick, reliable vine that could be used as a rope.

Now Melody, Monty, Octavia, and Clarke were standing on the rocks protruding from the water. Finn and Jasper had climbed up the steep bank and were looking less than enthused about having to jump off of it with only the vine to support their bodies.

"You wanted to go first." Clarke reminds them, in her voice that means she isn't going to put up with any bull-shit. "Now quit stalling."

Melody grinned, looking up at Jasper and Finn who had started talking once more. She was honestly looking forward to the time when her turn would come. Mel's life lacked excitement; Earth offered it. And swinging across a river on a rope seemed like a great idea.

Her green eyes watched Jasper and Finn, a grin on her face as they were talking about being like the Indians. The Apache. She guessed that they were sort of like Indians. They were Earth's natives, but at the same time they were foreign. They were somewhere between being aborigines and aliens. Mel wasn't sure which side they were closer to.

Heart hammering, she watched as Finn pulled the rope back and looked at Jasper. See you on the other side. She expected him to jump, to soar across the river and land on the other side. What she didn't expect was for Jasper to call out at the last second.

"Wait!"

Finn paused as they all looked at Jasper. His eyes flickered towards Octavia and it was clear then what he wanted. A half-smirk curved Melody's lips as she watched him. He looked so excited as he bounced gently on the balls of his feet, assuring Finn that he could do it. A fierce wave of pride hit Melody, bringing a full-blown smile to her face. My boy, the Apache. She thought to herself, clasping her hands and bringing them to her mouth as she looked on with interested eyes.

When Jasper took the rope, Melody couldn't help but to bounce a little bit and clap her hands. You've got this, Jasper. And he did. Jasper grippe the rope and looked at them one last time before he took two steps back.

"See you on the other side." He repeated Finn's earlier words with a grin.

Melody's heart raced as he ran the two steps forward and began to sail across the open space between the bank and their destination. For a minute she watched in silence, forcing herself not to worry. He's fine. He's fine. She told herself this over and over. And when he landed on the other side, she threw both hands in the air and let out a shriek.

"We are the Apache!" The cry echoed throughout the forest as Jasper through both hands in the air and shouted.

"Yeah!" Melody cried, along with the rest of the group. They were so caught up in their whooping and hollering as pride filled them all. They'd come down here as children. And now, they were Apache. This was their land. This was their _time._

They continued to laugh and cheer as Jasper did a small victory dance. Melody, Monty, and Octavia watched him with amused smiles as Clarke prepared herself to be the next one across.

"Come on, Clarke! You got this!" Jasper encouraged her from across the stream, his grin wide. "Apache!"

They all laughed, relieved that Jasper had made it across with no trouble. And now, it was Clarke's turn. But as she stood, ready to go, Jasper began to dig in the dirt near where he had landed. They all watched as he lifted up a sign, one that was beaten and bruised after many long, hard years. It was faded, but still readable.

Mount Weather.

"We did it!" Cried Jasper, as he raised the sign high above his head. "Mount Weather!" He let out another string of shouts, holding the sign up proudly.

Relief washed over them as they realized that they were here. _We made it._ Mel thought to herself, throwing her head back in relief. We made it…

They were all so relieved and excited to finally be here. Nothing could stop them now. Nothing! Or that's what they thought.

Right up until the moment a spear struck Jasper square in the chest and sent him flying.


	4. Chapter 4

Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion.

A strangled gasp left Melody's lips as she watched Jasper's body sail through the air and fall limply to the ground a few feet away. Protruding from his chest was a long, wooden shaft that had definitely been carved by hand. Melody didn't need to be a weapon-junkie to know that there was a spearhead of some sort attached the end that was embedded in Jasper's chest.

As much as she wanted to scream and shout and call out to the boy, Mel couldn't. The only thing she could managed to get out of her throat was a single, hoarse whisper. "Jasper."

One shaking hand was outstretched in his direction, as if she could somehow will him back to her. Melody's mouth opened and closed; no words would come out. Mel leaned forward, about to take a step in the direction of where his crumpled body lay. Had Monty not roughly grabbed her arm and yanked her to safety, Melody might have been the next person with a spear sticking out of her body.

"Get down!" Finn was shouting as he ushered them all to lower ground, where the rocks would shield most of their bodies from view.

Melody felt numb. It was Monty who did the moving for both of them. He had one arm wrapped around her waist and had managed to get the both of them to safety. Melody had been no help; all she could do was blindly stumble along as if she had lost complete control over her body. And for a moment, it felt as if she had.

Clarke's voice was soft and frightened, somewhere near Melody's ears. "We are not alone." The girl said, peering over the edge of the rocks as if to look for whoever had attacked them.

"Mel? Are you with me?" Monty's voice was frantic.

Melody looked up and saw that his face was just inches from hers. Her eyes were wide and blinking rapidly, as if she couldn't quite process what had just happened to them. Jasper had just been killed before her very eyes. Jasper, the boy who had held her hand when things got scary. The optimistic kid with whom she had taken her first steps on Earth. It seemed so surreal that only an hour ago they had been laughing and joking with one another. Melody had been curled up into his side and Jasper had been picking on her for being a nature-freak after she'd identified three poisonous plants without Monty's help.

And now he was gone.

"Melody!"

Monty's voice finally broke through her daze and she forced herself to swallow the lump that was beginning to form in her throat. You can do this, Mel. Put on a brave face like you always do. And that's just what she did. Melody sat up and looked to Clarke and Finn, her face suddenly voice of the emotion that she felt deep in her stomach, brewing there like a storm. It was damn near impossible to keep her face neutral, but Melody somehow managed.

"What's our next move?" Mel asked, her voice breaking slightly in the middle of her question. But she brushed it off and cleared her throat, determined not to let it happen again.

"Getting the hell out of here." Finn said, looking around. His eyes scanned the forest for a moment before he spotted a gap between the trees; the same one they'd come through just fifteen minutes earlier. "There. It'll be a straight shot back to camp. On my command, you run your asses off. Got it?"

They got it. The five of them crouched behind the rocks, ready to spring at any moment. Finn's eyes searched the trees, but like Clarke's they didn't detect even the slightest rustle of leaves. The seconds that ticked by were excruciatingly slow. Everyone was tense and ready to get the hell out of what Melody assumed was enemy territory.

How can we have enemies? How is anyone down here still alive? The radiation should have wiped out everyone who wasn't on The Ark. There was no way anyone could have survived it…so how had they?

"Go!"

At Finn's command they leapt up and over the rocks, scrambling to get to the break in the trees. Melody ran faster than she had run ever before. Her heart was hammering in her chest and her legs ached by the time she made it into the forest, but Mel didn't allow herself to stop. She could hear frantic footsteps all around her and she assumed that it was the footsteps of her friends. Melody didn't even turn her head; she couldn't. She wasn't just running; she was running away. Away from that place, away from their enemies, and away from that body.

The only thing keeping Melody sane was the sound of her footsteps against the ground. That and the sound of her own labored breathing. With each breath she drew in it felt as if her chest was on fire. The muscles in her legs hadn't been used like this in years. Rotting away in a prison cell didn't really require a whole lot of movement. Mel's entire body seemed to throb in protest in response to being overused with no preparation, but Melody didn't mind. The pain was a good thing. The pain let her know that she was still alive.

And that in itself was a gift.

Melody didn't slow down until she heard a muffled thumping noise behind her. Slowing to a stop, she turned around and saw that Monty had lost his footing and fallen face first into the dirt. Monty! How could she have left him behind? He'd been the one to drag her out of the enemy's line of fire. He had saved her life. He's my only friend and I practically left him to die. With that thought in mind, Melody rushed back to Monty's side just as he was getting to his feet.

"Are you hurt?" Melody asked, looking at him for any sign of physical damage. Monty shook his head slowly, his eyes glued to the ground.

It was then that Melody saw the bones.

"Who are they?" Finn asked, his voice holding just a twinge of panic. His dark eyes were focused on the bones that Monty had tripped over. Bones that looked identical to the bones of a human.

It was Clarke who picked them up. In her hands she held a disfigured skull. The top of it had almost a hear-shape, and it was nearly flat on every side. "What are they?" Clarke wondered, staring at the object in her hands.

Octavia let out a breathless sigh, leaning against Monty slightly as she looked at the skull in Clarke's hands. "We are so screwed."

Melody had to agree.

"Aaaaaaaaugh!" The agonized cry rang out and echoed throughout the forest.

Melody immediately recognized it as Jasper. Her heart practically skipped a beat as she looked in the direction from which the shout had come. He's alive. She thought to herself, as first relief and then fear surged through her body. He was alive…but for how long?

Clarke was the first one to start running back towards where they came. Melody wasn't very far behind her. The danger of whatever lay back at the creek suddenly didn't seem so important to her. All she could think about was helping Jasper. If he was alive it wouldn't be for long without their help.

They broke through the clearing and Melody heard Finn telling them to stay behind the cover of the trees. She did so, crouching low as her eyes eagerly scanned the area where she had last seen Jasper. The light in her eyes slowly faded, however, when she realized that he was gone.

"He was right there."

"Where is he?"

It was Clarke who put the pieces together first. "They took him."

The words seemed to hang in the air between them all for a while. All five of them seemed to be wondering the same question. Who are they? But there was no way to know the answer that question. Up until now, they'd thought they were alone. The reality was much, much harsher.

"We have to go." It was Finn again, pushing for them to leave. Pushing for them to leave Jasper.

Melody opened her mouth to protest, but she didn't know what to say. She didn't want to leave Jasper to those…things. But she also couldn't stand to see another one of her own get hut today. It was bad enough that Octavia was already injured and running on her bad leg. One more man down and they wouldn't have a chance. The girl was torn between wanting to stay and wanting to go, but in the end Melody knew that it would be no use to try and argue with them. It was go back to camp or die. And if she was going to help Jasper, she needed to be very much alive.

We will help him.

They trekked back to camp in a near-silence. Melody didn't even have the heart to smile when Monty offered her a wild flower that he'd picked from the forest floor. She'd simply uttered a soft thank you and had tucked the flower into her jacket for safe-keeping. No one was laughing or smiling. Without Jasper it just didn't seem to come as naturally to any of them. Without Jasper nothing seemed to come as naturally. Not their smiles or their laughs or their sense of adventure. It was all too easy to feel the lack of his presence whenever someone thought about cracking a joke or saw something that looked like fun. So they just stayed silent.

Their arrival at the camp was greeted by a fight. Wells had another boy by the throat, with a knife pressed against his jugular. The sight turned Melody's stomach for more reasons than one. We shouldn't be killing each other. Someone else is already trying. But she didn't step forward to say anything. She didn't have the energy to face Bellamy Blake, who was looking on with interest.

It was Clarke who broke up the fight. Wells seemed to do whatever she said. So, when she commanded him to let the boy go, that's what he did. As the boy fell to the ground, Melody realized that she recognized him. John Murphy. The boy who had stopped Wells from putting his hands on Jasper earlier. The boy who had a sinister look in his eyes that gave Melody the chills.

Monty and Melody helped Octavia down the hill, going slowly so as not to hurt her even further. Octavia had already put far too much pressure on her leg by running away from the creek…and then running back to it. And then away again. The strain was taking its toll on her.

Bellamy steered Octavia away from them, asking her if she was okay. To which Melody thought, you're welcome in a way that was less than friendly. She wisely refrained from saying what she thought and instead moved forward to listen as Clarke and Finn began to explain.

Melody listened as the two explained what she already knew. What they had been told about Earth was wrong. The last grounder to die on the Ark hadn't been the last. They weren't alone on Earth; there had been survivors.

"The good news is, that means we can survive." Clarke said, trying to be optimistic. "The radiation won't kill us."

Good for you, Clarke. But it's a crock. Melody thought bitterly in regards to the girl's hopeful tone as she pulled her knees up to her chest and took a seat on the ground. The expression on her face must have shown her true feelings, because Melody felt a firm hand press against her shoulder. Her face tilted upwards and she saw Finn look down at her. He didn't try to smile or say anything to make her feel better; he was just there. And Melody appreciated it.

"The bad news is…" Finn said quietly, looking around the group as he put in his two-cents about their newfound enemy. "The grounders will."

Wells looked at the five of them suddenly, his eyes going to each of their faces. "Where's the kid with the goggles?"

For some reason, the question rubbed Melody the wrong way. "His name is Jasper." She hissed lowly, eyes narrowed into a glare as she looked at Wells.

Finn's hand squeezed her shoulder gently, and Melody forced herself to take in a deep breath. Don't lose control, Mel. Be cool.

"Jasper was hit." Clarke explained, her voice going from hopeful to hopeless in a matter of moments. "They took him."

Clarke only grieved for a moment.

Her eyes had landed upon Wells' wrist, which was bare. "Where's your wrist band?"

Wells jerked his head in Bellamy's direction, his voice low and angry. "Ask him."

Melody's eyes flickered to her own wrist, where the bracelet was still blinking as it took her vitals. They're taking them off. Melody realized, looking between Bellamy and Murphy. For some reason t-hey wanted the Ark to think they were dying. Mel pulled the sleeves of her jacket down further to cover the metal band. She wasn't going to willingly let it go.

Clarke launched into her speech about life-support on the Ark failing. With each bracelet that came off, the Ark lost a little hope. If they couldn't come down then Melody would never see her mother again. Worse, her mother would die. Melody couldn't let that happen.

Bellamy, however, had different ideas.

The boy immediately began speaking to the prisoners, trying to get them to turn against Clarke. He was telling them that they were strong. Strong enough to fight the grounders. Strong enough to survive without the Ark. He was playing them like fiddles.

"They say you'll be forgiven for your crimes. I say you're not criminals." Bellamy shouted, getting a response from the group. "I say, the grounders should worry about us."

A cry rang out as the arrogant group of teenagers threw their hands in the air and agreed with every word that left their daunting King's mouth. It made Melody sick to her stomach to see them all so…excited. Like they wanted the grounders to try and attack them. Them, a bunch of kids, a bunch of outsiders, planned to take on a group of natives who obviously had no ill thoughts over murdering people?

"They didn't see, Finn. They didn't see what happened to Jasper." Cried Melody, her voice anxious as she got to her feet. Finn reached out to grab her, but she was too quick.

Worried and anxious, she rushed up to Bellamy and put one small hand on his arm. His reaction was unexpected. The boy whipped around suddenly, his eyes narrowed as he looked down at Melody. He looked from her hand, to her, and back again. Mel dropped her hand and then crossed her arms over her chest as she took a step back.

"They'll kill us, Bellamy." Mel said, her voice rising with panic.

"Let them try." He replied, too cocky for his own good.

"They already got Jasper. It could be you next. Or Octavia." Mel pointed out, trying to make him see reason.

Her words only seemed to make the boy angrier. His hand lashed out and wrapped around her wrist. His grip was tight enough to cause pain to shoot up Melody's arms. Bellamy leaned in close and almost seemed to bar his teeth at her. "Worry about yourself."

Melody hated the feeling of helplessness that washed over her body as Bellamy grabbed her. It was a feeling she had always hated. And she had felt helpless more times today than she cared to admit.

"That's twice you've put your hands on me." Mel snapped, jerking her arm out of his grasp. Her breath was suddenly coming fast as she glared up at Bellamy, angered by his actions and his words. First he'd held her still on the dropship, letting Octavia have her moment. And now he'd manhandled her in front of everyone. "Try it a third time and I guarantee you won't like the results." Mel threatened, thankful that her voice had remained firm and strong.

"Oh?" Bellamy asked, taking another step in her direction. "What're you going to do, sweetheart? Kill me?" His eyes were filled with a mixture of amusement and annoyance as he stared down at her.

Melody was not afraid of the likes of Bellamy Blake…at least not completely. And she would be lying if she said the thought of ending his miserable life hadn't crossed her mind. But it wasn't up to Melody who lived and died. This was not an instance where she had to protect herself. This was just…life. And she would not let Bellamy get to her.

"No. You wouldn't be the worth the guilt." Melody said after a moment. She retreated a few more steps, her eyes never leaving Bellamy's.

"You alright, Mel?" Finn was suddenly at her side, looking between Melody and Bellamy curiously.

No. I'm not alright. Melody thought to herself, clenching her hands into fists at her side. Bellamy didn't shift his gaze. Melody didn't want to. But she couldn't look at him for another minute. So, she turned her head to look at Finn and nodded once. "Great. Let's go find Clarke."

Melody walked a few steps before turning around to face Bellamy once more. "By the way, my name isn't sweetheart. It's Melody." Said the girl loudly, before carrying on.

As the two of them walked towards the dropship, Melody could still feel his intense stare burning holes into her back.

|oOo|

"…you aren't going either."

Melody and Finn walked onto the ship just in time to catch the last half of Clarke's sentence. Wells and Monty wore matching expressions, both clearly upset about something.

"Like hell I'm not. Jasper's my best friend!" Argued Monty, frowning at Clarke who had just broken the news to him that he wouldn't be going on the rescue mission.

She then began to launch into a speech about how Monty was too important to go with them. He had been raised on Farm Station and recruited by engineering. That meant he knew about food and communication; two essential things.

Upon seeing Melody and Finn enter the tent, Monty's eyes lit up hopefully. "Melody knows about plants." He told Clarke, looking between the two of them. "Enough to keep us alive."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Melody protested, holding her hands up in her own defense. "You grew up on Agro, Monty. You know how to farm and grow food and make something out of nothing. I grew up in the Sky Box. I'm essentially useless."

"Come on, Mel. You grew up in the Sky Box?" Monty asked, scoffing as if he didn't believe her. Melody immediately cringed at the words she had so carelessly let slip.

The "Sky Box" was another name for the Prison Station. It was true that she had essentially "grown up" on the Prison Station. The first few years of her life had been spent on Medical, when her father was still alive and serving as the head doctor. When Melody was eight, however, her father was floated and she and her mother were sent to Factory Station. Mel spent the next five years there until she had been arrested.

"Yeah. Where are you from Mel?" Finn asked curiously, tilting his head to study her with his intense gaze. There was a hint of nervousness in his eyes and Melody knew that he was avoiding the task at hand. Making idle small talk and hoping to prolong things before they went back out to get themselves killed.

As always, Melody became uncomfortable and distant when discussing her past. "It doesn't matter right now. We need to focus on getting Jasper." She reminded them shortly, crossing her arms and pinning Finn and Monty with her serious stare.

"She's right." Clarke agreed with a swift nod, before she looked at Melody and Finn. "You ready?"

"Totally. Let's go." Melody said immediately, ready to get down to business.

Finn, however, was more reluctant. "I'm not going anywhere." He said simply, looking between the two of us. "And neither should any of you."

"It's Jasper." Melody exclaimed, looking at Finn with a look of disgust etched on her face.

"We're just going to let Jasper die?" Monty asked, his voice reflecting Melody's emotions perfectly; angry and disgusted.

"That is not an option." Clarke assured him before training her eyes on Finn once more. "Spacewalker? What a joke."

"You pretend to be an adventurer." Clarke continued, her tone soft and almost sad.. "You're really just a coward."

"This isn't an adventure, Clarke. It's a suicide mission!" Finn protested, but Clarke didn't want to hear any of it.

The blonde brushed by Finn and ducked out of the dropship. Melody looked at Finn, utterly disappointed. He'd been so eager to get out and explore everything and now, when they really needed him, he was chickening out.

"Don't worry, Monty. We'll bring him back." Melody assured the boy, offering him a smile that could only be described as shaky, at best.

Melody moved towards the exit slowly and precisely. Her eyes were trained on Finn the whole time. The boy had the decency to look ashamed, but Melody felt no pity for him or his cowardly ways. Suddenly, her first lashed out and struck Finn hard in the chest as she passed him by. "We are Apache." She said firmly, giving him one more disgusted once-over before she walked out of the dropship. Wells wasn't far behind.

It took Melody only a few seconds to reach Clarke. "So, what's first?" Melody asked curiously, walking at Clarke's side with her arms crossed over her chest. Everything about Melody's stance seemed to scream "don't screw with me."

Maybe she really was unapproachable.

"Bellamy."

The answer displeased Melody, who wasn't exactly Bellamy Blake's number one fan. Her eyes easily found the male who was currently crouched beside his sister, tending to the wound that she had gotten earlier. Mel stopped in her tracks, allowing Clarke and Wells to go ahead and recruit Bellamy. She just didn't have the patience...Luckily, whatever Clarke said seemed to convince Bellamy that he should tag along. The boy immediately began barking orders. How typical. It caused Melody to roll her eyes in annoyance. Nevertheless, she brushed by him and took her rightful place at Clarke's side. She would not let Bellamy Blake get to her.

"He's all bark." Melody complained to Clarke and Wells as the three of them walked away from camp at a hurried pace. Melody looked over her shoulder, not yet seeing Bellamy and his little bodyguard, Murphy.

"These aren't just bullies, guys. They're real criminals." Wells said, his tone serious as he mimicked Melody's actions and looked over his shoulder.

Neither one of the girls were intimidated.

"That's what I'm counting on." Clarke raised her chin higher and marched on, completely unaffected by Wells' words.

Melody thought for a moment before nodding her head at Clarke's words. Bellamy and Murphy would be useful. The chances of the two of them having killed before was on the high side. Mel had killed, too, but no one knew that. And with that depressing thought on her mind, Mel added her own two cents. "We're all criminals, Wells."

The male just shook his head and remained silent. It was obvious that he didn't think Mel and Clarke were taking him as seriously as he had expected. Personally, Melody thought that he worried far too much. People often mistook her small, almost dainty body and her big, innocent eyes for signs of weakness. It was clear that Wells was one of those people. The reality of it all was much different.

The trio hurried on at a quick, steady pace. The sound of slower footsteps off to the side could be heard as Bellamy and Murphy kept their distance. Melody was grateful that they didn't try and barge their way into the group. Mel trusted Clarke and only Clarke…for now. She was a logical girl with medical knowledge and she gave them the best shot at finding Jasper. Not to mention she was a natural-born leader.

It was a five or ten minutes into their walk before Clarke broke the silence among the three of them. "Relax, Melody. We will find him." She said, turning her kind and patient eyes towards Melody who wore a rather worrisome look.

"Jasper is only part of the problem." Melody said softly, resisting the urge to look over her shoulder and see where Bellamy and Murphy had gone. "I don't trust them."

As if on cue, Bellamy and Murphy came towards the three of them from the side.

"Hey, hold up." Bellamy said, moving towards them at his own leisure. "You don't survive a spear to the heart." He went on, his voice sounding a bit too uninterested for Melody's taste. In his hand was the gun that he was rumored to have. The sight of it caused Melody to scowl and tense.

"Hey, put the gun away Bellamy." Wells moved towards the boy, but was immediately intercepted by Murphy. The ever doting bodyguard.

Murphy had gripped the collar of Wells' shirt and was pushing him backwards. Away from Bellamy. "Why don't you do something about it?"

"If you two could stop your shit for two seconds, that'd be great." Melody snapped out, glaring between both of the boys who were acting completely asinine.

"Jasper screamed when they moved him." Clarke pointed out, looking at Bellamy with mildly-contained annoyance. "If the spear had struck his heart he would have died instantly."

"Meaning, we don't have time to waste." Melody piped up, stepping forward.

Bellamy's hand snaked out and wrapped around Clarke's wrist. "As soon as you take off the wristband we can go."

Melody stepped forward, almost standing between Clarke and Bellamy. The blonde girl snatched her arm away from Bellamy, his eyes blazing. "The only way the Ark is going to think I'm dead is if I am dead. Got it?"

Out of instinct, Melody pulled the sleeves of her jacket down further to cover her wristband as she had done earlier.

"The brave princess." Bellamy said snidely, his lips curving upwards and into a smirk.

"Hey. How about you get your own nickname?"

Suddenly there was Finn, walking briskly towards them. Melody looked over at the boy, crossing her arms over her chest as she all but glared at him. His cowardice was not forgotten; it would never be forgotten.

"You call this a rescue party? We need to split up. We'll cover more ground." Finn ordered, further increasing Melody's annoyance.

He can't just swoop in and order us around. She thought angrily, watching as he looked around the group once.

"Girls, you come with me." Finn said, nodding his head towards the direction he intended to go in.

Clarke immediately began to follow, but Melody stood her ground firmly. "No." She said, succeeding in surprising everyone. "I'll stick with Bellamy."

Finn was no idiot; he knew why she refused to go with him. Melody had never been the forgive-and-forget type. The boy nodded his head slowly, eyes locked on Melody's. "We are Apache." He echoed her earlier words with an apologetic smile, before walking off with Clarke.


	5. Chapter 5

"So what's the deal with you and goggle boy?" Bellamy asked almost immediately, not being the type to beat around the bush.

Melody could see the curious look in his eyes when their gazes met. It was no surprise that he, like the rest of the group, was curious about the way she acted when it came to Jasper. Melody herself didn't quite know where her determinedness and bravery had come from. All she knew was how much it hurt her to think of Jasper wounded and out there all alone. That thought alone was enough to fuel her desire to find him.

"We're friends." Said Melody, giving Bellamy a look that clearly said _this is none of your business._

Still, he didn't let it go. "Friends?" Bellamy scoffed and looked at Melody as if he was less than convinced. "I wouldn't go running off on a suicide mission for one of my friends."

_That's because you don't have any._

"But you'd do it for Octavia." Melody's tone was sharp as she kept her eyes facing forward. Either Bellamy could not take a hint or he didn't care about her annoyance.

"Octavia is my sister. I'd do anything for her." Bellamy argued, her voice suddenly taking a more threatening tone once Octavia's name had been brought into the mix. It wasn't meant to intimidate or frighten Melody; it was habitual.

"Jasper may not be my brother, but I would do anything for him." She explained, turning to look at Bellamy with a slightly less hostile expression on her face this time around. "We do crazy things for the people we care about."

An almost guilty expression flickered across Bellamy's face. It disappeared so fast, however, that Melody thought she may have imagined it. The look was one she knew all too well; one she often wore herself. Which lead Mel to begin questioning things. Did Bellamy Blake have a deep, dark secret that he wasn't sharing?

Melody broke the sudden silence that had formed between them. "Why do you ask?"

"Huh?" Bellamy gave her a confused look, as if he had long ago lost interest in the conversation and had no idea what she was getting at.

"Why did you ask? About me and Jasper, I mean." Explained Melody, her curiosity replacing her earlier annoyance.

"Oh." Bellamy said flatly, shrugging one shoulder in a rather lazy motion. "I saw the two of you together. First in the dropship, when you were talking. And then when we landed and you were celebrating. You just looked kind of…close."

"Oh." Melody echoed his words, nodding her head. "That makes sense. We are close; or at least as close as two people can be whilst having known each other for less than forty-eight hours."

It was surreal to think that Melody had only known Jasper for little more than a day. He and Monty had accepted her into their little circle so whole-heartedly that she felt as if she had known them forever.

"You've only known him since you got on the dropship?" Bellamy's voice sounded rather surprised as he looked at Melody, his eyebrows raised.

"Yes."

"Yet you almost intervened yesterday when Wells looked like he was about to lay Jasper out." It was more of a statement than a question. Bellamy looked at Melody expectantly, trying to get his facts straight.

"Yes." Repeated Melody, raising her head higher.

"And you're risking your own life on the off-chance that he survived the attack from the grounders."

"Yes."

"A guy you just met yesterday."

"Yes!" Melody exclaimed, clearly exasperated by the endless amount of questions that seemed to flow from the boy. "How many times do I have to tell you?"

Bellamy held his hands up, looking at Melody with an amused smirk on his face. "Hey, I was just curious."

"Well mind your own business."

Melody knew that it was the wrong thing to say almost immediately. The light in Bellamy's eyes darkened and his smirk turned into a frown. It was hard not to be intimidated by the glare he was giving her, but Melody managed to keep her eyes forward and her legs moving at a brisk pace.

"These people are my business." Bellamy's voice was rough and sharp as he quickened his steps to catch up to Melody.

"Oh. Why's that?" Melody asked, looking at Bellamy with a scowl. "Because they listen to you?"

"Yes." He replied, his eyes narrowing. "They listen to me. They take my advice. I am responsible for them."

Melody couldn't help but to scoff at his words. From what she had seen, Bellamy ruled with an iron fist. He gave them two choices; obey or be punished. And with Murphy and his little gang backing Bellamy, no one dared to defy him. They may be criminals, but they weren't all ruthless killers. A lot of them were scared kids who had gotten thrown into the Sky Box for next to nothing. Everything on the Ark was a crime.

"They're scared. Scared of you, your psychotic side-kick, and the gun holstered at your hip." Melody informed him, pointing towards his right hip, where she could see the outline of the gun pressing against the fabric of his tee-shirt. "You aren't a leader Bellamy. You're a bully."

The pressure of his fingers wrapping around her arm caused Melody to cry out in surprise. Bellamy's grip was tight as he pulled her closer to him. His voice dropped to a deadly growl and his eyes were alit with a ferocious light that Melody had never seen before.

"Watch yourself, Melody." Warned the boy.

"Or what? You'll kill me?" Melody mocked, repeating the words he had thrown at her earlier.

It took a lot of energy, but Melody managed to pull her arm out of his grasp. The feeling of blood rushing back into her arm was almost painful. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at Bellamy, taking a few steps away from him. She opened her mouth to say something else, but at that moment she heard a voice ringing out among the trees.

"Melody!" She immediately recognized the voice as Clarke's.

"Clarke!" Melody shouted back, alarmed.

She took off running in the direction of the voice before she could think better of it, her mind and body not exactly on the same wavelength yet. Melody's heart was hammering in her chest as she ran blindly towards the sound of the voice. The sound of heavy footsteps followed her, and she knew that they belonged to the remainder of their search party.

Please don't let her be dead.

Melody broke through a small clearing, stumbling to a slow stop as she came face to face with a small body of water. Her chest seemed to tighten as she took a cautious step backwards. Nothing good ever seemed to come from the water on Earth.

"It's safe." A gruff voice muttered, coming up behind her.

Melody recognized the voice as Bellamy's. She turned to scowl at him, her anger bubbling to the surface once more. He didn't know. While she and the rest of the group had gone out to find Mount Weather, Bellamy had stayed behind in his cushy little tent and spent the day ordering people around. He just didn't know.

"Oh yeah? Says who?" Demanded Melody, who was looking less than pleased by his constant presence.

"Says your princess." Bellamy remarked, jerking his head in the direction of something on the other side.

Melody turned and looked in that direction, relief flooding her when she saw Clarke and Finn crouched down in front of some rocks. For a moment she had almost thought that they were hurt. That they would suffer the same fate as Jasper…for once, she was glad to have been wrong.

"Clarke!" Mel called out, smiling as she lowered herself into the water and began moving towards them.

The water only came up to Melody's waist, so she didn't have to worry about swimming. It was cold, but it wasn't unpleasant. Nothing like a cold shower. In fact, it was quite refreshing. Melody quickly made her way to the other side, now interested in what the pair had been so intently studying before she arrived.

"Hey. Did you…" Melody trailed off as her eyes registered the bright red blood coating the rocks around the waterfall. Her eyes scanned the two of them only to find no damage had been done. "Jasper." She said softly, bending down to look at the rather fresh-looking blood.

"They must have brought him here." Finn said quietly as he dipped his finger into the crimson liquid. "Recently." He added, wiping his hand in the dirt near the rocks.

"Finn thinks he can track him." Clarke told Melody, giving her a smile that was riddled with hope and excitement. And then Clarke held up something that made Melody gasp quietly.

Jasper's goggles.

"Track him? How?" Melody wondered, taking the goggles out of Clarke's hands and examining them. After a moment she tucked them into her jacket and turned her attention towards Finn. 

"Let me worry about it." He said, standing from his crouched position. "I'll find him."

Melody slowly nodded her head as she watched Finn turn and begin to walk away from them, presumably to lead the way to Jasper. Trust didn't come easy to Melody; it never had. And after Finn's earlier reluctance to find Jasper, Melody didn't know if she could rely on him anymore. And Clarke's eagerness to follow after Finn when she had been so obviously disgusted with him earlier made her a questionable ally as well.

"You'd better, Spacewalker." Or you'll answer to me.

"We'll find him, Melody." A gentle hand rested upon Melody's shoulder as Clarke's kind eyes met hers. "We _will_ find him." Clarke gave Melody a rather half-hearted smile and then the two of them began to follow after Finn.

They walked for miles.

Finn led the group with his eyes peeled as he studied everything around them. He looked at the dirt beneath their feet, the trees, the rocks; all of it. Melody assumed that he was searching for some sign that they were going in the right direction.

Clarke was at Finn's side, making small talk and trying to help out to the best of her abilities. But the girl's area of expertise was not tracking; it was doctoring. As much use as she was when it came to bumps and bruises, Clarke was nothing more than an extra set of hands right now. And Melody had a feeling that not being able to help more was bothering the poor princess.

Melody and the rest of them trailed behind, having accepted the fact that they would be of no help. Hell, Melody didn't even know if Bellamy and Murphy wanted to help. Bellamy was only tagging along because Clarke had questioned his authority. Murphy was here because Bellamy was. And Wells…he seemed to have some sort of desperate need to keep Clarke safe. Melody guessed that the two of them had been friends once upon a time before they'd come down to Earth.

It was Murphy who broke the silence that had slowly formed over the group.

"Hey, how do we know this is the right way?" He wondered, looking to Clarke and Finn for answers.

It was Bellamy who responded. "We don't. Spacewalker thinks he's a tracker."

Melody rolled her eyes at the level of testosterone in the group. To be honest, they were all starting to wear on her nerves. Having been deprived of human contact for the last four years, Melody had gotten used to not having to listen to pointless comments with malicious undertones. Being among the living once more was proving to be an adjustment.

Mel hadn't realized that they'd stopped until she nearly ran into Wells, who was paused and looking forward. Melody's eyes slowly followed his gaze until they rested on Finn, who was crouched near a small bush. She noticed the blood then, dark-red and dripping from the branches to form a small puddle on a bed of rocks below.

"Are we close?" Mel asked eagerly, pushing her way forward to stand beside Finn and Clarke.

A strangled moaning sound reached Melody's ears then, as if in reply to her question. She looked around the group and realized that no one had uttered the sound. It had come from deeper into the forest. And it sounded very, very pained.

"What the hell was that?" Finn wondered, standing up and turning in the direction of the noise.

Clarke instructed Bellamy to take out his gun, and Mel could feel her chest tightening at the thought of the danger that lay on the other side of the trees. She wanted to be afraid, but she forced herself not to. She had to continue. Jasper was out there somewhere and she was going to bring him back to Monty, just like they'd promised.

Melody found herself practically sandwiched between Bellamy and Murphy as they began to go after whatever creature had made that noise. She wanted to feel disgusted, and part of her did, but Melody was also glad that she was standing between the only armed members of their group. Finn, Clarke, Wells, and Melody didn't have weapons. They hadn't thought they would need them. How foolish they had been.

The walk through the trees was a short one. They soon came to a small break in the trees that led to a rather large clearing. The first thing that Melody noted was the long, thick grass that grew here. It was a lighter green color than what she had seen before, and it was long; perfect for predators. Next she noticed the large tree that stood alone in the middle of the little grotto. It was tall and wide and presumably old, but still beautiful.

And finally, she noticed the body.

|oOo|

"Jasper."

They all stood in sort of a stunned silence. Melody's eyes were fixated on the boy who had been tied to the tree with what appeared to be some sort of rope. Another moan left his lips, and Melody felt relief rush over her. _He's alive._

"Oh my god, Jasper." Mel whispered softly, torn between being relieved and being horrified.

"Melody." She felt a strong hand grasp her shoulder as Bellamy whispered her name, for her ears only.

Melody shrugged away from his touch and immediately began to move forward, her heart racing wildly. She didn't want anyone, especially Bellamy Blake, to console her at the moment. All she wanted to do was get Jasper down and make good on her word to Monty. And make good on her word to herself.

As Melody went for the tree, she heard the sound of a struggle to her left. Her eyes landed on Clarke, dangling above some sort of trap that must have been set by the grounders. Her green gaze trailed from Clarke to Bellamy, who was holding onto her hand, and then back.

_I need to save Jasper…but I need to save Clarke._

The fact that she even hesitated for a moment made Melody feel immensely guilty. She ran back to Clarke's side, reaching down to grip her arm. Mel's gaze flickered to Bellamy, who seemed to have had his own moment of hesitation. Luckily for them, there were three others there to help them make the right decision. The five of them managed to haul Clarke up and out of the hole she had nearly fallen into.

"We need to save Jasper." Melody reminded them, the urgency in her voice nearly hysterical. The attachment that she had to Jasper was definitely not healthy, but it was all she had. Mel was in way over her head. She'd gotten herself in too deep, too fast; but there was no turning back now.

"I'll go up and cut the ropes." Finn offered, begging to move towards the tree.

He recruited Murphy to help him and ordered Wells to stay with Clarke. Finn made some off-hand comment about watching Bellamy, and Melody could guess why.

"There's a poultice on his wound." Clarke said, her tone slightly surprised and slightly curious.

Melody knew what that meant; medicine. The grounders had shot Jasper and then they'd given him something to heal him. Or partially-heal him considering the fact that he looked as if he might stop breathing at any moment.

"Why would they keep him alive?" Mel asked, staring up at Jasper in wonder.

"To string him up as live bait."

"Maybe what they're trying to catch likes its dinner breathing." Bellamy suggested, looking between Jasper and the trap.

"Maybe what they're trying to catch is us." Interjected Finn.

There was silence then, as they all took that in. That sounded like the most likely answer if you asked Melody. The grounders obviously would not hesitate before killing one of them. Or at least seriously injuring one of them.

They were in hot water.

"Be careful with him." Melody called up to Finn and Murphy, who were busily cutting the ropes.

"And hurry up." Clarke added, looking around nervously.

They were all nervous. At any moment the grounders could come back to collect Jasper. Or to collect whatever they had hoped to gain by stringing him up like that. And none of them wanted to be around when that happened.

The sound of twigs snapping caused Melody to whirl in the direction from which they had just come. She heard a low growl, and her eyes widened as she tried to look for whatever was coming at them.

"Bellamy, gun!" Clarke shouted, her voice mirroring Melody's rising panic.

The sound of gunshots echoed then, but it was not Bellamy who wielded the gun. It was Wells. Somehow, he had managed to get the gun away from Bellamy without the male knowing. There was one shot, then two, then three. None of them hit the target.

"Wells!" Cried Melody, who was worriedly watching the black shape of what looked like some sort of feline.

The animal was not approaching them. Rather, it was approaching Bellamy who stood alone. He was just a foot or two away, but he couldn't run to them. Instead, the boy looked around, his eyes trying to follow the sound of the creature's growling.

Melody never thought that her heart would skip a beat for Bellamy Blake.

But that's exactly what happened when she watched the panther leap for him. Mel reached out, as if she could stop the impending attack. Bellamy's back was to the creature and he didn't see it. Time seemed to stand still, and then the final shot rang out. The panther fell to the ground by Bellamy's feet.

It was dead.

"Get him down before we all get eaten." Melody urged the two boys in the tree who were working far too slowly for their liking.

"We're doing our best, Mel." Finn told her, sounding rather annoyed by the fact that she was trying to get them to move faster.

"Oh,I'm sorry, Finn. Are you the one strung up like a piece of meat?" Melody asked, the question laced with sarcasm and obviously rhetorical.

"Melody." Clarke's voice as softer than Finn's and much more soothing. Melody knew that Clarke had lost her father. She knew what it felt like to have absolutely no control over the lives of the people you loved. Clarke could sympathize and that was why Melody didn't lash out at her.

"Sorry." Mel muttered, although she felt little to no remorse for her words.

They were quiet then, watching as Finn and Murphy freed Jasper from the ropes that were holding him against the tree. Melody's anxiety rose with every passing moment. They all felt a bit paranoid and expected a grounder attack at any moment. Luckily, there was no signs of the enemy.

"We've almost got him." Finn announced, about ten minutes after they had begun cutting. "You guys come close and be ready, just in case."

Melody didn't know what she was supposed to be getting ready for, but she stood at the base of the tree on high-alert. She, Clarke, Wells, and Bellamy made a small semi-circle around the tree. They held their arms out, and it became apparent to Melody that they were there to catch Jasper if he were to fall.

"Alright, Murphy. I've got the top. You get the bottom." Finn ordered, wrapping his arms around Jasper's torso as the last of the ropes were cut away.

Together, the two of them managed to get Jasper out of the tree with a minimal amount of difficulty. Once they had lowered him down far enough, Bellamy and Wells took over. They supported Jasper's body and between the four of them, they managed to carry him.

Melody didn't stray from Jasper's side once. She busied herself with talking to him and she brushed back his dark hair that was now caked with blood and dirt. It was terrifying to see Jasper laying there, unconscious and still. But at least he was alive.

"I told you I'd find him." Finn said to Melody, grunting slightly as he worked to support Jasper's left side, with the help of Bellamy. Nevertheless, he managed to grin at her.

"You also said you weren't going to come." Melody reminded him, obviously still not over that little fact. Still, Finn had led them to Jasper. And for that, she was grateful. "But thank you."

The walk back to camp was taking longer than it had the first time, what with them having to carry Jasper's limp body. No one complained, not even once, and Melody half-suspected that it was for fear of her wrath.

"Are you sure you two are just friends?" Finn asked Melody, raising his eyebrows skeptically. "The way you look at him suggests otherwise."

By this point, Melody was far too relieved to be angry with Finn's invasive questioning. So, she decided just to humor him.

"We're just friends." Mel insisted, looking at Jasper fondly.

"And the look?" Pressed Finn. He obviously wasn't going to give up easily. It sounded like someone else she knew…

"What look?" Melody asked, her voice more curious than defensive during this round of twenty questions. Bellamy had caught her at a bad time; Finn had gotten lucky.

It's just…intense. Like he's the only person on the planet that really matters." Finn explained to the best of his ability, but Melody didn't recall giving Jasper any look.

"Jasper was the first person I talked to in four years." Melody admitted, willingly offering up a detail about her personal life. "I was sent to the Sky Box when I was thirteen years old. Solitary."

There was a surprised hush among the group now as they all listened to her story with intent eyes. It made Melody a bit uncomfortable, but for some reason she didn't feel like she was letting any of her secrets go. No one knew why she was in there.

"I was convinced we were all going to die on that ship. But not Jasper. He held my hand and told me that it would all be okay." Continued Melody, her voice softening as she looked at Jasper with a sad smile. "No one had ever done that before. No one had ever told me that it was going to be okay. He gave me hope."

The rest of them remained silent, seemingly caught up in Melody's story. Melody didn't like to share things about herself; she had made that obvious. And the chances of it happening again were very slim. But for now, with the sun slowly sinking and a peaceful silence between them all, she felt that it was okay to let it out a little at a time.

"You look at him like that because he was the only one there for you." Finn said quietly, looking at Melody with soft eyes. "The rest of us had someone. We came down here with hope of being reunited with our loved ones. Some of us came down here with friends. But you…you were alone."

Melody nodded her head, surprised that Finn had managed to put into words exactly what she was feeling. "And now I'm not."

"Now you're not." Finn repeated her words, but when he said them, they almost sounded like a promise.

It was dark before they made it back to the camp.

Clarke and Melody immediately made their way towards the dropship, with Wells and Finn shortly behind them. The two boys were now solely supporting Jasper, seeing as how Murphy and Bellamy had decided that carrying the panther back was more important than Jasper's safe arrival.

"Who's hungry?" Bellamy shouted, dropping the panther in the middle of the circle that had quickly formed around them. Enthused cheers and words of gratitude echoed in Melody's ears as she turned her back on the sight and walked into the dropship.

Finn and Wells managed to get Jasper onto a makeshift cot before going out to find the supplies that Clarke would need to tend to Jasper's wound. Melody sat down beside the bed, brushing Jasper's hair out of his face once more.

She turned her head to look at Clarke and offered her a small smile. "We did it."

"That we did." The blonde smiled back at her as she sat down on Jasper's other side. "We're lucky we went after him."

"He'd be dead now if we hadn't." Melody said quietly, thinking about the dead panther that was about to become their dinner.

"But he isn't. He's alive, Melody." Clarke said gently, looking at Jasper, who appeared to be so fragile and sickly. "We did well."

They both looked up as they heard the sound of someone climbing up the ladder. It wasn't long before Monty popped his head up through the hatch, staring at them intently. "He's alive?"

"He's alive." Melody agreed softly, gesturing to the boy who lay between her and Clarke. "See for yourself."

Monty wasted no time in rushing over towards them. Melody could practically see the relief wash across his face when he saw Jasper's chest rise and fall. Monty sat down beside her, hard. Sensing that he could use a friend, Mel reached out and entwined her fingers with his.

"He's alive." She repeated, giving Monty's fingers a gentle squeeze as she did so.

"Thank you, Melody." Monty's voice was grave as he looked at her. "Thank you for bringing him back."

Melody knew that Monty wasn't suggesting that the rescue mission had been a success because of her. There was a reason that he didn't thank Clarke or Finn or Wells. He was thanking Melody because she had gone in his place. She had been there for Jasper, as a friend, when Monty could not. And to him, that was precious.

"You're welcome." Mel whispered back, swallowing as she felt a lump begin to form in her throat. Damn emotions.

Finn and Wells arrived soon, with the supplies that Clarke had requested. She took the clean water and gently washed away the dirt and blood that clung to Jasper's skin. Melody helped her with this part. Then Clarke had to tend to his wound, which Melody couldn't really stomach. Even if she could it wasn't like she would be much of a help. So, she sat idly by as Clarke bandaged Jasper and made sure he was in the best condition possible.

They couldn't stand by Jasper's side forever. After Clarke's instant urging that they go outside and make themselves busy, Melody and Monty finally left Jasper's bedside. They did so reluctantly.

The two of them decided to sit by the fire. Monty said it might take their minds off of things, so Melody agreed with him. When they went outside, however, the campfire was being put to use. Bellamy and his henchman had cooked the animal that they'd brought back and were surrounding the fire. Lined up as far as she could see was the rest of the 100, all of them itching to get something in their bellies.

It was then that Melody realized what was going on. When each person stepped forward, they were greeted by either Murphy or another one of his group. Each was equipped with some sort of crow-bar looking piece of metal that they used to pry the wristbands off of people. As soon as the wristband came off it was tossed into a pile and the person was given a piece of meat.

"They're taking off their wristbands for food."

Clarke's voice interrupted Melody's thoughts. Green eyes met blue and Melody slowly nodded, feeling as horrified as Clarke looked. The last thing she wanted to do was take off her wristband. It was the only thing letting the people on the Ark know that she was alive. It was, quite literally, her life line.

"I won't do it." Clarke insisted, shaking her head.

"You won't have to." Finn insisted, before he walked forward and took a piece of the meat, which was speared by a sitck.

There was a few brief words between Finn and Murphy. Melody was too far away to hear what was said, but it resulted in Finn walking away and Murphy saying nothing. Clarke followed suit. It was when a third person went to do it that Bellamy noticed. Melody watched as his arm was drawn back, and then he let it sail forward to collide with the boy's cheek. The boy scrambled backwards, away from Bellamy.

This angered Melody for more than one reason. Before she could think better of it, she was marching up to Bellamy.

"You think you can just thrash anyone who doesn't play by your rules?" Mel demanded angrily, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked at him.

Melody was well aware of the eyes on her. No one had dared to stand up to Bellamy thus far, aside from Clarke. There had already been an audience from when he'd lunged for the poor boy who now had a bloody nose. Now their attention simply shifted, towards Melody.

"Don't test me, Melody." Bellamy warned, his voice dark and threatening. It was clear that he didn't like being stood up to. And Melody didn't like being pushed around.

Her hand snapped out and towards the right, grabbing hold of one of the sticks that roasted above the fire. Her green gaze met Bellamy's and stayed there, as if challenging him. "Are you going to punch me, Bellamy?"

Melody didn't know whether Bellamy would actually strike her or not. Where they came from, you didn't hit a woman. It was punishable by law. But this was not the Ark; this was Earth. And Melody was playing with the big boys now. Mel knew that she could take a hit and survive. Even a hit from Bellamy Blake.

"Of course not, Melody." Bellamy's tone had gone from dark to entirely too friendly.

Before Melody knew what was happening, she was being held between Murphy and his partner. Each had a firm grip on one of her arms. Melody struggled, but it was no use. She was not strong enough to get out of their tight grasp.

"Bellamy, don't do this." Melody said, her voice surprisingly even. She actually sounded firm and in control. Which she definitely was not at the moment.

"Sorry, sweetheart. If you want to eat, we get the little bracelet."

Bellamy moved forward slowly, crowbar in hand. Melody was desperate to get even one arm free, but the more she struggled the tighter they held her. Mel watched as her sleeve slowly crept upwards, revealing the shiny wristband that was monitoring her vitals.

"Bellamy." Melody was closer to pleading than she would have liked. "If you do this they'll think I'm dead. They'll think we're all dead."

Something in his eyes told Melody that he already knew that. He wanted the Ark to think that they were dying. He didn't want them to come down to Earth. Melody knew that much, but she couldn't figure out why. What had happened that made him hate the Ark so much? What would make him condemn innocent people to death?

"You'll regret this." Melody whispered, shaking her head as she stared up at him with unforgiving eyes. She could hold a grudge; she would hold a grudge.

"You'll thank me." Bellamy whispered in response, positioning the crowbar between the wristband and her skin.

Don't hold your breath.

She heard the sound of metal on metal. Bellamy grunted softly as he pushed downwards on the handle, intent on ridding her of the wristband. For a moment Melody thought that it didn't work. She could still feel the cool metal against her skin. She was relieved, until Bellamy pressed down on the crowbar once again.

And then, she felt the pain.


	6. Chapter 6

"His pulse is thready."

Melody sat straight-up out of a dead sleep, her owlish-eyes blinking rapidly at Clarke for a few moments as her brain slowly began to process those words. Her body had moved faster than her mind again, and a thick veil of sleep made everything hazy. 

"Thready? What does that mean?" Mumbled Melody, as she slowly pushed to her feet. She stumbled blindly for a few steps before coming to stand beside Jasper.

"It means I can hardly feel it." Clarke muttered. The girl's baby blue eyes fell upon Melody then, taking in the latter’s state of sleep deprivation disapprovingly. "Did you sleep for even an hour, Melody?"

No, she hadn't. Melody's barely-contained anger towards Bellamy and her constant worry for Jasper had made her restless all night. The lack of sleep didn't bother Melody, though. She hadn't gotten very much sleep before she had been sent to Earth. Melody was constantly running on low batteries and it had yet to make her melt down, so that was a good sign. But she wasn't going to tell Clarke any of this.

"I'm fine, Clarke. You can hardly hear his pulse." Melody reminded her, looking down at Jasper.

As he had done continually throughout the night, Jasper let out a pained moan and his body began to writhe. Melody, used to the routine that they’d settled into, pressed her hand firmly against his shoulder to ensure that he didn't move too much. The last thing they wanted was for him to hurt himself even further. Almost as quickly as it had started, the episode stopped and Jasper was silent once more.

"Shut that kid up!"

"Make him be quiet."

"Can't he just die already?"

Melody was silently fuming as she glared in the direction of the hatch that led to the lower level of the drop ship. It wasn’t the first time that they’d heard such remarks. The rest of the 100 were more worried about getting a full night's rest than whether or not Jasper would make it until morning. It disgusted Melody, but she supposed that was just how people were. Human nature truly was a frightening thing.

"Don't listen to them, Jasper. You're going to make it." Clarke ran a hand through Jasper's dark hair as she spoke softly to him. They’d been comforting him all night, and now it hardly seemed out of the ordinary. Clarke straightened up and began moving towards the exit. "I'm going to go get some clean water. Keep an eye on him."  
Monty, who had been in the corner messing around with the wristbands, began to move towards where Jasper lay. Melody moved over to make room for him to sit. It didn’t take two of them to watch him in his current state, but they’d quickly learned that having the company felt nicer than being there alone. They were silent for a few moments as they watched the ragged rise and fall of Jasper’s chest, neither one of them knowing what to say. 

It was Monty who spoke first. "About your bracelet, Melody." He began quietly and trailed off, leaving it open for Melody to protest.

And she did so, gladly. 

"I don't want to talk about it, Monty. What's done is done." Melody replied not unkindly, running her fingers gently around the wrist that had previously been equipped with the metal band. There was a little bit of bruising there now, and the puncture marks from where the sensors had been ripped out of her flesh. 

"Okay." Agreed Monty easily, nodding his head, smart enough to know that he shouldn’t push the subject any further. "I just wanted you to know that I'm here for you. We're here for you." He amended, gently patting Jasper's arm, as if it would have been rude to exclude him simply because he was in a comatose state. 

The words succeeded in bringing a small smile to Melody's face. The more time she spent on Earth, the more she realized what she’d been missing out on all those years in the Sky Box. Having friends felt great. She was still out of practice and her people skills were having a hard time shaking off their rust, but no one seemed to mind. 

"Thanks, Monty." Said Melody. “That means a lot.”

Before Monty could reply, their attention was drawn back to Jasper. The boy began to let out a series of strangled moans and groans, his limbs thrashing wildly beyond his control. Mel anchored Jasper down once more and watched him with a slight frown, attempting to block out the complaining that could be heard from down below. It was true that things weren’t looking good for Jasper. But things wouldn't be looking good for those kids either if they didn't keep their mouths shut. 

"Don't let them get to you, Mel." Monty sighed. "They're idiots."

"Isn't it sad?" Melody asked suddenly, turning her thoughtful eyes onto Monty.

"Isn't what sad?" 

"How little they care about human life.” Melody explained with a sigh. "We know better than anyone what it’s like to be the disposable ones. To have the value of our lives taken from us and completely disregarded. Each and every one of them has felt that way, and yet somehow they’re not even phased by the thought of death. It’s like the Ark has brainwashed us into thinking that death should be a common occurrence and we shouldn’t put too much stock in it. It’s sad.” 

Monty took a few moments to process her words. Ever so slowly a smile spread across his face as he watched Melody, who had fallen silent and was running her fingers through her hair absently. She was deep in thought, pondering her own words and wishing that there was some way she could make the rest of The 100 realize just what was at stake here. Monty looked completely taken aback by her explanation, but almost in a good way.

"You know, I can't figure you out Melody." He said after a few minutes of silence between the two of them. 

_That's the plan._

"There isn't much to figure out." Replied Melody with a slight shrug of her shoulders. 

"Yes there is." Monty argued. He was looking at her thoughtfully, as if he were trying to decide how to put his thoughts into words. "You're so…complex."  
Melody had to scoff at that. Her? Complex? There was nothing even remotely complex about her personality. 

"I'm not that hard to figure out, Monty. You and Jasper had me pegged from the beginning. I’m just unapproachable." Melody said, repeating that word he and Jasper had used with a teasing undertone. 

"But you're not." Argued Monty, this time with a bit more conviction in his voice than before. "I thought you were. And maybe it seems that way because you’re kinda closed off sometimes, but you aren't unapproachable, Melody. You're kind. And caring. And more thoughtful than all ninety-nine of us put together.” 

Melody didn't know whether she should feel complimented by Monty’s words, or scared. The fact that he was beginning to observe her more carefully was worrisome. First he would observe, then he would understand, and then he would go screaming for the hills. She didn't like it when people read too deeply into her words and actions. If Melody had to pick between coming off as unapproachable or thoughtful, she would choose unapproachable. The thoughtful ones always seemed to be the first to go.

Luckily, Melody didn't have to confirm nor deny Monty's analysis. Just as she was about to speak, Clarke came climbing up the ladder and into the top half of the dropship. In her hand was a small cup that had been made from what appeared to be a hollowed out tree branch. The delinquents were learning how to become resourceful. And with the knives they’d made from the discarded metal of the dropship, it seemed that whittling had become a popular activity. 

"I've got the water. How is he?" Clarke moved forward carefully, making sure not to spill the contents of the cup. It was unsurprising that Finn was close behind. 

"Well, he's still dying." Melody said drolly, looking between Clarke and Jasper's unmoving body. "And they're still egging him on." Mel nodded her head in the direction of the hatch that separated the two sections. "But other than that, everything is fantastic."

Clarke didn't comment on Melody's sarcasm. Instead she moved forward and began to change Jasper's bandages just like she did every few hours, like clockwork. The bandages were really just strips of clean cloth, but they kept Jasper in one piece and prevented him from bleeding out all over the floor. It was unsurprising that Jasper began to become more vocal as Clarke tended to his wound. His pain-filled sounds filled the dropship as she re-dressed the wound as quickly as she possibly could. More complaints came from below, but none of them paid very much attention.

"The grounders cauterized his wound." Clarke said suddenly, her voice filled with fascination as she looked at Jasper's chest, where the spear had struck him. The flesh there was red and puffy; the wound was closed. "They saved his life."

"They saved his life to string him up as live bait." Finn amended from where he stood on the other side of Jasper. 

Clarke ignored the boy's comment and continued to tend to Jasper. She seemed more interested in it than she had been before. Now that the poultice was being changed, she could see the extent of the damage. Or, lack of damage thanks to the grounders. After a few minutes of fixing him up and cleaning off the grime, Clarke paused and frowned, leaning closer to look at and prod his wound.

"What is it?" Melody didn’t like the look on Clarke’s face. She moved closer, assessing the damage herself, but all she saw was a cauterized wound. 

"The wound is infected. He might be septic."

Melody might not speak doctor, but she knew what Clarke was getting at. Jasper's wound was infected and there was the chance that it might be poisoning his body. Once the infection got into your blood, you were done for. Everyone knew that. And the worst thing about it was that there was nothing they could do down here. Without the proper medication, Jasper would die.

"Any progress on using the wristbands to contact the Ark?"

Clarke's question was directed at Monty, who had been working on reversing the communication settings in the discarded wristbands. The boy didn't seem to hear anything he was saying. Monty's dark eyes were fixated upon Jasper's lifeless body as Clarke's words echoed in his ears. Septic.

"Monty?" Clarke prompted, her voice a bit more urgent.

Monty seemed to snap out of his daze. "That would be a firm no." He informed her, his voice laced with frustration.

"Don't worry, Monty." Melody said, offering the boy a reassuring smile. "You'll get it."

It was obvious that Monty was slowly losing hope. And honestly, so was Melody. He had been toying around with the wristbands for two solid days now. Every time the bands were taken off, the communication system died immediately. Monty had done his best to try and bring them back to life, but so far nothing seemed to be working.

Melody didn't realize that their small group had grown by one until she heard Well’s calm, calculated voice asking. "How's he doing?"

"How does it look like he's doing, Wells?" Clarke snapped, the cool and calm side of her retreating and bringing out a side that Melody had never seen before. A side that only instilled more panic in everybody in the room.

"I'm just trying to help." Replied Wells, sounding as patient as ever. He'd been given the cold shoulder ever since they'd gotten on the ground, but he hadn’t once complained. Instead he’d just tried to help them to the best of his abilities. Melody was curious as to what caused Clarke's immense dislike of the Chancellor's son, but she knew better than to ask.

Another agonized groan from Jasper put Clarke into motion.

"Alright, you want to help?" She asked, turning to look at Wells expectantly. "Hold him down."

With Wells holding his legs and Finn holding his torso, Clarke began to cut into Jasper's body with a sterilized knife. Melody cringed away from the scene, holding a hand against her mouth as she watched on in horror while Jasper's blood began to slowly trickle from the wound. She had no idea what Clarke was trying to do, but it had to be something that would help Jasper in his struggle to survive.

Or so she thought, until Jasper began to wail. It was the worst bout yet, worse even than all of the other times combined. Melody could see only the whites of Jasper's eyes as he writhed on the table, obviously in immense pain yet unable to do anything about it. It took all of Melody's strength not to turn her head away from the awful sight. But she had to watch. It was Jasper who was on the table and Melody was determined to see this through.

"Hold him still!" Clarke ordered, turning to give Finn and Wells a sharp look. She was using her doctor’s voice again. "I need to cut away the infected flesh."

Melody stood off to the side, watching intently as Clarke continued to cut through the flesh. Her stomach was churning in protest, but Melody didn't look away. She couldn’t. She feared that if she were to even blink, Jasper might die while she wasn't looking. And that was something she wouldn’t be able to live with.

"Stop it!” Octavia had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and was kneeling by Jasper's side. She looked desperately at Clarke, who still wielded the knife. “You’re killing him!” 

"She's trying to save his life." Finn told Octavia, his voice strained as he continued to hold Jasper down against the table.

_]Yeah, so get out._

Melody's thoughts were bitter, but she couldn't stop them from forming even though she knew it was wrong. She didn't want Octavia here. Octavia was the reason Jasper was in this mess in the first place. He'd been trying to impress her by crossing the lake first; by showing that he was strong and brave. And it had gotten him an arrow in the heart. Besides, she hadn’t even come up to see him once since getting back. They’d all taken turns watching and caring for him, but not Octavia. She’d been laughing it up with the rest of the delinquents, having no cares in the world aside from having a good time. 

Octavia was lucky that Melody was an even-tempered girl. More specifically, she was lucky that there was a bed and an overprotective older brother separating the two of them. Melody would have loved nothing more than to give Octavia a piece of her mind. Maybe more. But she knew that to do so would be to incur the wrath of Bellamy. That was something Melody could live without. But Bellamy Blake be damned, if Octavia hindered Jasper's recovery in any way she would be hearing from Melody.

"She can't save him." Speak of the devil, Bellamy was suddenly looming over the lot of them. He stood near the dropship hatch, arms crossed over his chest as he watched. 

Wells stood up, probably hoping to intimidate Bellamy. It didn't work. Melody didn't think that Bellamy Blake could be intimidated. He was overly-confident and obviously not above using brute force to get what he wanted. And Bellamy always got what he wanted, even if he had to do unspeakable things to make it happen.

"We didn't drag him through miles of woods to let him die." Clarke argued, looking up at Bellamy with an annoyed, but concerned expression on her face.

"The kid's a goner." Countered Bellamy, looking at them all as if they were crazy. "If you can't see that, you're deluded. He's making people crazy."

"I'm sorry if Jasper is an inconvenience to you, but this isn't the Ark." Clarke snapped back, giving Bellamy a look that could kill. "Down here every life matters."

"Take a look at him. He's a lost cause." Said Bellamy slowly, causing them all to become silent.

They all took a moment to look at Jasper. It was apparent that Bellamy's words were beginning to wear on them all. Jasper looked so weak and lifeless. There was a light sheen of sweat coating his whole body, and he was uttering incomprehensible moans. The chances of him pulling out of this were very slim; they all knew that. But they were going to do everything in their power to make sure that the odds were in his favor.

Melody would make sure of that.

"He's not a lost cause." Melody said firmly, standing up and glaring at Bellamy. Hatred burned somewhere deep inside of her every time she looked into those dark-brown eyes. "If Clarke says she can help him, she can. There's hope."

Bellamy looked annoyed by Melody's words. "This isn't about hope. This is about guts; you don't have the guts to make the hard choices. I do. He's been like this for three days. And if he isn't better by tomorrow, I'll kill him myself."

He wouldn't. Melody wouldn't let him. She might stand alone, but she would stand in his way until her last breath left her body. And that was a promise.  
Octavia chose to stay with them, despite Bellamy's order for her to follow after him. Melody was not the girl's biggest fan, but she did admire her determinedness. Now if she would just stay out of the way and let them work, maybe Melody would be satisfied. 

"Power hungry, self-serving jackass." Monty remarked, watching as Bellamy retreated down the ladder. "He doesn't care about anyone but himself."  
Melody was surprised to hear such words leave Monty's lips. He'd always been the quiet and docile one. It was good to know that he wasn't all sugar and spice; there was a fire burning somewhere deep inside of him. And Jasper was the only one that seemed able to provoke it.

"No offense." Monty tacked on, looking at Octavia.

The brunette simply shrugged one shoulder as if she knew that Monty was justified in saying those things about her brother. Octavia was the only one who saw the softer side of Bellamy. The rest of them couldn't even imagine that there was another side.

"Yeah. Bellamy is all of those things." Finn said slowly, nodding his head. "But he also happens to be right."

All eyes snapped towards Finn. They wore similar expressions, all of which were clouded with disbelief and confusion. Melody stood up, looking at Finn with hard, cold eyes. She had been right not to fully trust him. He didn't care about Jasper's life any more than Bellamy did. 

"You need to leave, Finn." Her tone was firm. She would not sit around and listen to one more person talk about Jasper's life as if it were something to be ended out of convenience.

"I think I'd rather stay." Countered Finn, looking up at Melody with his own defensive look.

"She's right." Monty spoke, standing up to join Melody.

Finn looked between the two of them for a few moments before his gaze shifted towards Clarke. She didn't meet his eyes. Instead she made herself busy with examining Jasper's wound once more, although they all knew there was nothing more she could do. She wasn’t openly joining them, but they had her support. And everyone knew it.  
Finn left. And Clarke wasn't very far behind him, claiming that she needed to examine the poultice in better lighting. She wanted to figure out what it was made of so she could possibly prepare another one…or so she said. Melody was half-convinced that she wanted to go soothe Finn's wounded ego. And if that’s what she wanted to do, more power to her. But Melody didn’t feel the least bit sorry.

Melody sighed loudly and moved to sit at Jasper's side once more. It was down to just the three of them now. Melody, Monty, and Octavia. They were united with their common goal; keeping Jasper  
alive. Melody didn't fully trust Octavia. It seemed that she didn't fully trust anyone. And for good reason, obviously.

"So what do we do now?" Octavia asked, looking between Monty and Melody. It was clear that she was the outsider here. Octavia understood why and wouldn't hold it against the two of them, just as they weren’t currently holding the fact that she’d been AWOL since the Mount Weather trip against her.

"Now we wait." Melody replied gravely, her eyes once more on the sporadic rising and falling of Jasper's chest.

And that's what they did.

 

|oOo|

 

"She doesn't like me, Monty."

The sound of Octavia's voice woke Melody, who had been happily drifting in and out of consciousness for the last few hours. It was the first decent bit of sleep that she’d gotten since leaving the Ark, but it still wasn’t a deep sleep. Not deep enough to completely block out her surroundings, anyways.

"It's not that, Octavia. She just doesn't know you." Monty replied quietly, shuffling around the room restlessly. 

It was obvious that they were talking about Melody. The girl remained curled up on her side, trying to keep her breathing as even as possible. Pretending to be asleep in order to eavesdrop was something Melody had done a million times before. The situation had never been quite like this one, though. She’d never been the subject of discussion. 

"I don't think she wants me up here." Octavia continued, her voice soft and urgent, as if she was trying not to get too loud. As if she were trying not to wake Melody.

Too late for that one.

"She's just protective." Monty insisted, his voice taking on a sharper edge. Now he was the one sounding protective. Loyal to a fault. "I think you guys could be friends, you know." Monty tacks on, his voice becoming gentler as he realizes his earlier lapse in composure. 

Octavia laughs, but it comes out as more of a scoff than anything. "I don't think so, Monty. Allies maybe. But I don't see us becoming friends."

She's got that right.

"You're a lot alike." Monty continues, not willing to take no for an answer. "You're both tough and closed-off to the world, but underneath it all you're both pretty great."

Melody couldn’t stomach listening to them anymore, and so she chose that moment to yawn as loudly as she could. Making a show of stretching and shifting around on the floor, as if she had just woken up, Melody let out a few soft groans before stilling momentarily. And then she was sitting up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and pretending that she didn't hear that little conversation.

"Sleep well?" Octavia asked, smiling like she hadn't just been talking about Melody quite literally behind her back.

"Oh, wonderfully." Melody said, the smile she forced not meeting her eyes. It was hard for Melody to pretend when all she wanted to do was call Octavia and Monty out on their little gossip session. She knew that it would be for the best if she stayed quiet, though. It wasn't as if they were saying anything bad about her.

"How is he?" Melody stood up to look at Jasper, who had long ago gone silent. That was what had caused her to fall asleep in the first place.

"Alive." Monty replied, shrugging one shoulder lazily. "Let's hope Clarke gets back soon, though. He’s too quiet."

"With that fog? I doubt it." Octavia commented, leaning back to rest her weight on her elbows.

"Fog?" Mel questioned, looking between the two of them with curious eyes. "What fog?"

Monty and Octavia exchanged a look. It shouldn't have made Melody angry, but it did. She hated being out of the loop. Secrets did not make friends. 

"What fog?" Pressed Melody, raising her eyebrows slightly to enunciate her question. Their lack of an answer was both annoying and slightly frightening.

"It's this yellow cloud of fog." Octavia said, locking eyes with Melody. "They noticed it rolling in and thought it looked dangerous. One kid decided that he would test it out and his skin practically melted off."

This was news to Melody. She must have slept through the entire thing, because she didn't recall waking up once. The few hours of sleep she had gotten last night were clearly not enough. Now, Melody felt guilty for having fallen asleep. A kid had died out there and she had slept right through it like a baby. Somehow that didn't seem quite fair.

"What about the others?" She asked anxiously, thinking about the ninety-four other kids that had survived the journey. Had they been caught in the fog, too? 

"Well, we all heard the kid screaming." Monty continued, frowning at the memory. "And everyone else kind of piled into the dropship."

"Clarke and Finn?" Melody asked, looking at them with anxious eyes. As an afterthought, she tacked on another name. "Bellamy?"

"None of them are here. We're hoping they found shelter somewhere else."

That was not what Melody had wanted to hear. The thought of Clarke out there absolutely terrified her. Not only had Clarke proven to be a trustworthy ally, but she was the only doctor they had. Finn and Bellamy…Melody may not be their biggest fans, but she didn't want either one of them dead. Yet.

The upper level was quickly becoming suffocating with the tension of this news. Melody excused herself to go to the lower-level, which would be full of more people but less that actually mattered. Being around Monty and Octavia and Jasper's limp body was more than she could bear at the moment, not when she felt like the weight of the world was coming down on her shoulders. 

Melody wandered around the lower level for a bit. No one really talked to her, but she still walked around with a make-shift bottle of water in one hand and Jasper's goggles in the other. If anything, it was enough to keep her busy. But hope was quickly fading as she looked at the goggles in her hand. How much longer did Jasper have before he just stopped breathing all together?

Melody had only ever cared for one other person; her mother. Back on the Ark, Melody and her mother were all each other had. Melody had always been fiercely protective and felt responsible for the older woman that had always been so dainty and frail. Mel had done her best to protect her mother, but her best wasn't always good enough. She had failed on more than one occasion…And now she was failing with Jasper. Failing to keep him safe as his body turned on him. And being defenseless was one of the worst feelings in the word, next to being afraid. She'd only ever felt crippling fear one other time. And that was the time when she'd sliced open a man's throat.

Melody was continuing to walk around the mostly-sleeping bodies when she heard the sounds coming from above. Jasper was awake again and his pain-filled groans echoed throughout the lower level of the dropship. Melody's heart ached for the poor boy and she wished she could do more for him. Anything just to lessen the pain that he was feeling. 

But apparently not everyone's heart ached with sympathy.

There were several complaints that went up around the room. Once again, there were shouts for someone just to end it all so that they could finally have some peace and quiet. Melody made it a point to remember the face of each and every person who complained, especially those who said such cruel and hateful things about Jasper. They were now on the list.

The list wasn't a real list, of course. It was more of a mental notepad of sorts, which contained the names all of the people that Melody either didn't trust of just didn't like. Bellamy's name was at the top of the list, since he fell underneath both categories. Shortly after his name was John Murphy, followed by several other people who would gladly see Jasper dead. Finn was on the verge of the list, but not quite.

Melody had hope for the spacewalker.

"That's it. I'm ending this."

The words caught Melody off guard. She turned just in time to see John Murphy rising from his hammock. Mel's eyes met Monty's from across the room and she could immediately see his panic flaring up. With a curt nod, Melody began to move towards Murphy. Her little signal was all it took for Monty to run for the ladder and begin to scurry up it, yelling to Octavia about Murphy's plans to kill Jasper.

Murphy had reached the top of the ladder just as Monty was closing the hatch. Melody watched as a slender leg lashed out once, twice, and a third time. Each kick landed accurately and Murphy was soon holding the side of his face whilst simultaneously trying to break open the hatch. 

"I'm gonna kill that kid! Let me in!" Murphy howled with outrage, trying to force the hatch open. Someone or something was holding it down.

Melody had never been one to think rationally when in situations like this. Not that she had been in many situations like this before. Before she could think better of it, Melody had crossed the room and gripped the back of Murphy's shirt. With one strong tug, she brought the boy down the ladder and sent him skidding across the floor.  
Murphy's surprise had been the only thing that allowed Melody to pull him off of the ladder. And now, it was the only thing keeping him from killing her. Mel knew that the boy would soon recover, though. You didn’t oppose John Murphy and get away with it. With that thought in mind, she slipped her hand into her back pocket and pulled out the make-shift knife that she had acquired the night before. It was a carefully sharpened piece of metal with a handle; it was as deadly as weapons came on Earth.

Melody held the knife in front of her as she stared Murphy in the eyes. Her hand was on the verge of trembling, but she managed to keep the knife steady. "You're not killing anyone." She declared firmly.

"Oh yeah?" Murphy laughed as he looked at Melody, sizing her up for a moment before dismissing her as any real competition. "Who's going to stop me?"

"I am." Replied Melody boldly. Stupidly. 

“And who are you?” 

“Melody.” She replied simply. 

“And you think you can stop me, Melody?” 

Murphy wasn’t afraid of her. And he wasn’t above proving it. He began to move forward, fully intent on doing some damage to her pretty little face. Melody lashed out with the knife, watching as Murphy jumped backwards, his eyes narrowing in anger. He hadn’t expected her to actually make good on her promise. She continued to have the element of surprise, and it continued to work to her advantage. 

"I know I can.” Melody retorted. 

Murphy looked her over once again, harder this time, before replying. "You don't have the guts to kill me." He didn't sound quite as sure of himself as he had before, which Melody gladly noted. 

"Oh yeah? Try me." Mel said, stepping forward.

When she took a step forward, Murphy took one back. There must have been something in Melody's eyes that showed she wasn't playing around with him. Two green orbs focused intently on Murphy, judging his every move, trying to calculate his decisions before he even made them. There was nothing even remotely playful about this; Melody was intent on winning. And she was both surprised and proud to realize that Murphy was the one retreating. 

"You won't kill me." He repeated, taking a cautious step forward.

"I will. Easily." Melody knew that she would. If it came down to Murphy's life or Jasper's, Mel would gladly choose. "I won’t lose even an ounce of sleep over it, either."

Murphy's dark gaze met hers once more and Melody was glad to see the indecision in his eyes. If he really wanted to, Murphy could probably take her. Melody wasn't a big, tough girl like some of the others. To say she was petite would be an understatement. Melody looked like a strong wind could blow her over. And her strength? She hadn't lifted a weight in years. She hadn't lifted anything in years. She was considerably weak. Fragile. Years of being locked up in a cell tended to have that effect on a person.

And yet she wasn’t backing down. 

It took more than a glorified bully to intimidate Melody Pond.

"You don't want to know what happened to the last person that made me angry." Murphy had resorted to threatening her, trying to intimidate her, but the words held no value to Melody. John Murphy was a bully and nothing more than that. The fact had never been clearer. 

"And you don't want to know what happened to the last person who made me angry." Melody practically snarled the words through a set of clenched teeth, feeling more powerful than she ever had before. "You're not the first person to be at the mercy of my blade, John Murphy. And you definitely won’t be the last.” 

Melody had probably revealed too much, but she was far too worked up to care about what she was saying. It’s not like anyone would actually piece it together. A crowd had formed now, but they were  
all too eager for a fight to pay attention to the small talk. Some of them were even cheering on one side or the other. It was disgusting really, how much they looked forward to it, but at this point Melody would be more than happy to give them what they wanted. Killing for sport wasn’t something she condoned. But killing to protect herself or someone she cared for? That was something Melody stood behind firmly. 

Murphy lunged for her. Rather than backing up as expected, Melody stepped forward to meet him. Fear had the oddest effect on her. Rather than shutting her down, it seemed to wake her up. It brought out the best -and the worst- inside of her. Every one of her senses was fully alert. She could feel the blood pumping through her veins, and she’d never been more focused in her life. She wasn’t afraid. She wasn’t insecure. She was ready. And while she may not have been strong, Melody was quick.

So quick, in fact, that Murphy didn't even see her knife before it was embedded in his leg. 

"Melody!" Monty's frantic voice could be heard from up above. She was running out of time, she was going to miss the window of opportunity. 

Melody twisted the knife sharply before pulling it out of Murphy's leg. He shouted as he stumbled backwards, no longer able to hold himself up. Melody wasted no time in running for the ladder. The crowd cleared a path for her, and she made it to the base in record time. Being small meant she was quick, and being quick had saved her life. They were just slamming the hatch down once more when Murphy reached it. This time, they shoved a metal bar through the handle, which kept the hatch closed permanently. 

Melody collapsed, taking Monty down with her. As she lay her head against his chest, Mel could hear the frantic beat of the boy's heart. Her own was pumping wildly, her breathing labored. Melody's eyes closed briefly, ignoring the obscenities and threats being shouted from the lower level. She wiped the blood from the blade on her pant leg and then let it clatter to the ground. She turned slightly into Monty’s embrace, blocking out the rest of the world.

Only one thing really mattered.

They were safe…

For now.


	7. Chapter 7

It was dark before Clarke returned to camp, medicine in hand.

Melody and Octavia heard the shouts from outside as people welcomed her back. Figuring that it was safe to open the hatch now, the two girls rushed out of the dropship to greet Clarke, leaving Jasper in Monty's capable hands. After Melody's altercation with Murphy earlier in the day no one had dared to even complain about Jasper. The chance of someone trying to put him out of his misery was slim. And if they tried, well, Melody still had her knife. 

The three of them had spent the entire day locked up in the upper level of the dropship. It seemed like hours before Murphy stopped trying to force his way through the hatch. For a while they’d feared that the metal might give way and let him in. Luckily, as soon as the fog had cleared he'd left the dropship, probably to sulk and tend to his injured leg and plot all of their untimely deaths. Things had been peaceful since then, but Melody highly doubted she'd make it through the night. Not when Murphy told Bellamy what had gone down between the two of them.

Murphy was out for blood. Melody's blood.

"It's about time! They were going to kill Jasper.” Octavia all but pounced on Clarke the moment they saw her. 

“Did you get the medicine?” Wondered Melody anxiously, her mind flickering to the image of Jasper’s worsening condition. 

"Yeah, I got it." Clarke replied, her voice low. "Come on, let's go talk." 

Clarke wrapped an arm around Octavia and tried to steer her in the direction of the dropship. There was something in her gaze, the way it nervously flickered towards the ground, that made Melody’s stomach drop. 

Something was wrong.

Octavia seemed to realize it, too. She pulled away from Clarke and continued on, heading towards where Bellamy stood near the entrance to the camp. Melody could see the outline of whatever Bellamy had dragged behind him on a make-shift cot. It only took a few moments for her to realize it was a body. And judging by Clarke's desperate attempt to divert their attention, it was the body of someone Octavia knew. Or, had known. 

"Octavia, just stay there please." Bellamy pleaded. He held out one hand in the universal ‘stay there’ sign, as if that could somehow keep her from approaching. "Just stay back."

Octavia was having none of it. When did she ever listen to him? She continued forward as if she hadn’t heard him, not stopping until she was kneeling beside the body. Melody watched from a few feet away, her stomach in knots at the thought of what Octavia might find beneath the jacket that was covering the dead kid. 

The horrified expression on Octavia's face as she lifted the material away was gut-wrenching enough to cause Melody to step forward. She wanted to reach out, but she didn’t know how. What could she say? What could she do?

“Octavia…” Bellamy tried to explain to Octavia that there was nothing he could do to save the boy, but words seemed to be failing him. 

Melody recognized the one laying on the cot now; Atom. He’d been one of Bellamy's right-hand men. The one that had been instructed to stay behind and watch camp while the rest of them had gone out searching for Jasper. She hadn’t really known him, so while she mourned his loss there was no real emotional attachment there. But it was obvious that he had meant something to Octavia, even if just for a couple of days. 

"Don't." Octavia raised one hand and glared at Bellamy as she spoke. “Just don’t.” 

It was heart-wrenching to watch as Octavia slowly bent down and covered Atom's body once more. There was no mistaking the wetness that had begun to form in the girl's eyes. She was hurting and  
angry as she sat there, looking down at Atom as if she didn't quite know what to do. Melody could sympathize. Loss was always hard. And having to look into the dead eyes of someone you’d once cared about…there was nothing else like that sort of pain. 

Melody was across the camp in a few long strides, putting both hands on Octavia's shoulders in an attempt to provide some sort of comfort. She was getting better at this. Better at interacting with people, and better at sensing what they needed from her. Melody wasn’t heartless. She’d never been Octavia’s biggest fan, but no one deserved to go through something like this alone. Melody knew first hand. She’d done it alone, and it had completely destroyed her. She wasn’t about to watch that happen to someone else. 

"Octavia, you should go help with Jasper." Instructed Melody, using a soothing yet authoritative voice that she didn’t even know she possessed. 

Octavia nodded her head reluctantly at Melody's words. She stood up and angrily made her way around Bellamy, who Melody suspected Octavia blamed for Atom's death. There was definitely more to that story than what she knew, but right now Melody didn’t care to find out all of the gory details. Instead, she went to follow after Octavia, intent on finding Clarke and seeing how the medicine was affecting Jasper’s recovery.

Before she even made it ten steps, a strong hand came out of nowhere and gripped her by the arm. Melody didn’t even have time to react before she was being spun around and yanked forward like she was nothing more than a limp rag doll. She stumbled along for a few steps, tripping over her own two feet as she tried to straighten up and pull away. 

Murphy yanked Melody to a hard stop as they stood before their unofficial leader’s feet, presenting her proudly to Bellamy. "We've got a problem."  
Bellamy looked between the two of them wearily and it was clear that he didn’t want to deal with whatever trouble they had at the moment. He never wanted to deal with Melody, but she somehow always seemed to be at the center of said trouble.

"And what's that?"

Melody tried to pull her arm free of Murphy's grasp, but he just sunk his nails into her arm in response, hard enough to break the skin. Melody resisted the urge to cry out in pain as tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. Instead, she clenched her jaw and stopped struggling as she stood before Bellamy.

"She managed to get her hands on a knife." Murphy said angrily, giving Melody's arm a rough shake in the process. "She tried to kill me."

A mixture of emotions flitted across Bellamy’s face. First and foremost was surprise, as if he couldn't possibly imagine that Melody possessed the courage -and stupidity- that it took to stand up to Murphy. His gaze trailed over her heavily, from head to toe and then back again. His brows were furrowed and his lips pursed as he watched her, studying her closely as if he had missed something the first time around. 

"She tried to kill you." Repeated Bellamy flatly. 

"In cold blood.” Murphy’s vice-like grip tightened even further, to the point that Melody was unable to stop herself from crying out. 

The sound seemed to spark something in Bellamy. His gaze flickered towards Melody’s face, where cheeks were flushed and her eyes glistened with unshed tears. Their gazes clashed for several seconds before Bellamy looked away. His brown eyes grew impossibly darker as they took in the sight of Murphy’s grip on Melody’s forearm. 

"Let her go." Bellamy’s voice was overflowing with authority and yet somehow still remained soft, as if he were simply trying to persuade Murphy rather than flat-out demanding of him. 

The request couldn’t have been more out-of-character. Melody’s gaze snapped to Bellamy’s face and she stared at him long and hard, taking a few beats of silence to process his words. Was he  
actually defending her? 

"What?" Murphy practically snarled the word beneath his breath. He was glaring at Melody with enough hatred that if looks could kill, she'd be six feet under. "Bellamy, she tried to kill me."

"I said,” Bellamy's voice was louder now, commanding. "Let her go. Now, Murphy. Don’t make me repeat myself again.”

Without waiting for Murphy to comply, Bellamy reached out and gripped Melody gently by the shoulder. He tugged her towards him and Murphy’s hand fell away limply, leaving Melody free to cross the distance and stand by Bellamy’s side. 

"You're just going to let this go unpunished?" Asked Murphy in disbelief. 

"Of course not." Bellamy’s darkened gaze swung towards Melody. "Did you try to kill him, sweetheart?"

"No." Melody shook her head firmly. Now that she was out of Murphy’s reach, she felt somehow safer than she had before, and therefore bolder. "I didn't try to do anything. If I wanted him dead, he would be."

Something new flickered across Bellamy's face then. Melody thought that it might be along the lines of admiration. There was nothing about his body language that suggested he was even remotely angry about her response. His lips quirked slightly at the corners, but his arms stayed crossed tightly over his chest as he watched her. Maybe she should feel repulsed by the glint in Bellamy’s eyes, but she almost felt proud. Proud that she had successfully stood up for herself. Proud that it hadn’t gone unnoticed. 

"I thought I was going to bleed out. I can barely walk on the damn thing." Murphy exaggerated, his glare never faltering. It wasn’t exactly clear who he was glaring at now, probably both of them, but his eyes were deep and dark and full of promise; a promise to get revenge. "She needs to be punished for this."

"Melody wouldn't have just stabbed you for no reason, Murphy." Bellamy said, surprising them both as he defended Melody for the second time in one sitting. “She’s too…good.” He said the word like it was dirty and left a bitter taste in his mouth. 

Bellamy's statement appalled Murphy. He looked between the two of them with narrowed eyes, unable to hide his confusion. He had every right to be confused. Melody was confused, too. She was just too surprised and engrossed in their conversation to voice it aloud or give them much of a reaction. Murphy, on the other hand, looked at Bellamy as if he had just murdered a dozen puppies and then bathed in their blood while listening to nursery rhymes. 

“You're honestly taking her side?"

"I'm not taking anyone's side. I'm just saying that if she stabbed you, you must have done a helluva job pissing her off." Bellamy said, the corner of his mouth curving into the ghost of a smile.

"This isn't funny." Murphy’s tone was furious and he looked as if he were already plotting ways to kill the both of them in his mind. 

"Do you want to know what's not funny?" Bellamy asked, his tone hardening. A scowl replaced the smile on his face as he turned his attention fully upon Murphy. "The fact that I trusted you to protect all of these people in my absence, and instead you let some little girl get the jump on you. That’s not funny.” 

“Hey!” Snapped Melody. 

The fact that Bellamy and Murphy were talking about her as if she wasn't even there made Melody grind her teeth together in frustration. Little girl? Who were they calling a little girl? The last time she checked, she was the one on the winning end of the spectrum. 

"It's not my fault." Murphy completely ignored Melody’s protest, and instead began to defend himself to Bellamy. "All I wanted to do was shut that kid up."

“Jasper?” Bellamy looked sharply at Melody.

Mel nodded. 

"He's still breathing." Murphy informed Bellamy, somehow slipping right back into the role of right-hand man. "I tried to take him out, but Melody and your psycho little sister-"

Murphy didn’t get to finish his sentence. Bellamy had shoved him backwards, hard, a fire in his eyes unlike any that Melody had seen before. It was fierce and blazing, a fire that could only be sparked  
by someone insulting Octavia. Melody saw the look in his eyes and it prompted her to take two steps back, because the last thing she wanted to be was in arms’ length of the two of them. 

"My what?" Bellamy grabbed Murphy by the collar of his shirt and shook him roughly, their faces practically touching as Bellamy bore down on him. "My what?" 

Murphy had flipped a switch and was suddenly as composed as ever. The confusion and anger he’d been expressing was gone, replaced by an eerie sort of calm as he stared blankly up at Bellamy. It was the type of calm that was so out of place that it seemed almost sinister. The deadened look in his eyes caused Melody to shiver. 

Murphy shoved Bellamy away from him with one hand, gaze never wavering. When he spoke, his voice was soft. “Your little sister.” 

"Yeah, that's right." Replied Bellamy. "My little sister."

Their gazes remained locked, cool steel clashing with raging fire. They were both too proud to tear their gaze away first. The amount of testosterone in the vicinity was threatening to suffocate her once again, but Melody found herself to engrossed in their little power struggle to even consider leaving. 

The show-down ended with Murphy apologizing reluctantly. Bellamy didn't even acknowledge the apology, much less accept it. He simply looked away and barked out an order for someone to take care of Atom's body, which was still laying near the entrance. Without casting a second look in Murphy’s direction, Bellamy effectively dismissed them and took off in the general direction of his tent.  
Melody watched as the two of them went their separate ways. She’d been expecting the confrontation with Bellamy, but she hadn’t been expecting it to go down quite like that. What was his angle? 

There had to be a reason that he’d chosen Melody over Murphy, but she couldn’t figure it out for the life of her. Guilt, maybe? The removal of her wristband was still fresh in Melody’s mind. She hadn’t  
forgiven him for that. She would never forgive such a selfish, immoral act. Bellamy Blake could stand up for her every single day for the rest of their lives, and it still wouldn’t be enough to make her forget what he’d done. 

“Melody.” Bellamy had paused a few yards away. He was standing there expectantly, watching her as she tried to piece together his motive.

When Melody looked up at him, Bellamy simply crooked a finger and gestured her forward. 

There were a million reasons why Melody didn’t want to be alone with him. For starters, he was kind of a shitty person. She was barely able to tolerate her presence when it was required of her, especially in light of recent events. The whole thing with the bracelets and with Jasper had just opened her eyes to what kind of person he truly was. And he wasn’t the kind of person she had any sort of respect for. Spending time with Bellamy after hours was about as high up on her ‘recreational activities’ list as was gnawing off her own foot. 

“I…uh, Jasper.” She blurted out, unthinkingly. “I should go back and check on him.” 

That was a lie. She wanted to go back and check on him, but they both knew that he was perfectly safe in Clarke’s capable hands. The excuse was more for her benefit than Jasper’s. The last thing Melody wanted was to be stuck in a tent with Bellamy Blake, who was just about her least favorite person on the planet. Right below the grounders, of course.

"Clarke can manage."

"She might need some more water." 

"I've got people supplying whatever she needs."

"Jasper could wake up, Clarke’s already given him the medicine." 

"Not likely."

"I told Monty that I would-”

"Enough, Melody.” Bellamy closed the distance between the two of them with just a few strides. He went to reach for her, but then thought better of it, his fingers twitching at his sides as he stared her down. "I said follow me."

Melody wasn’t afraid of him, not directly. But she was very afraid of his influence, in more ways than one. Although she hated to admit it, most of the delinquents were already his people. Crossing Bellamy Blake would ensure that she stood alone. Always. 

Was that really what she wanted? 

"Fine." Melody gave a stiff nod. 

They walked back to his tent in silence. 

Melody was unsurprised to find that he had claimed the best tent as his own. It was easily the size of several of the smaller tents put together, and about a hundred times nicer. Unlike the others, his  
tent was sturdy and erected in a way that suggested it wasn’t lacking any of the required pieces. Most of the others had been rigged up with string and supported by tree branches. Now Melody knew why. Bellamy even had a mattress laying in one corner of the tent, while most of the others were left sleeping on blankets. If they were lucky. 

_Who's the privileged now?_

She walked into the tent, her irritation towards Bellamy spiking once more. She was irritated at him for a lot of things, but mostly because he could just take whatever he wanted and could do whatever he damn well pleased without any consequences. And they were all just expected to follow after him like lost little puppies, lest they wanted to be beaten or ostracized or worse. It wasn’t fair. 

"You can't just stab people, sweetheart." Bellamy's lecture began the moment the tent flap swung shut behind them.

He sat down on the edge of one of those cheap, folding card tables that was apparently being put to use as household furniture. A few extra articles of clothing littered the table top, along with a handful of nutrition packets and a ball of twine. There was no other furniture in the tent aside from his bed. Melody stood in the middle of the enclosed space, arms crossed tightly over her chest as she turned to face Bellamy. 

"Why’s that?” 

"Because that's how you make enemies." Explained Bellamy slowly, his words heavy. "And trust me, you don't want any enemies here."

"I'm not here to make friends or enemies, Bellamy.” Even as she said the words, Melody couldn’t quite bring herself to believe them. Hadn’t she already made some of both? “I’m here to prove that Earth is habitable. Or at least I was.” 

Her fingertips brushed once more against the spot where her wristband had been just a few days prior. The area was still sore, but the bruises had already faded. The only trace that remained was the puncture marks on the underside of Melody’s wrist, where the sensors had been imbedded in her flesh. Otherwise, it was like the band had never even been there. 

"Don’t give me that, Melody. To hell with the Chancellor and his ‘mission.’ You’re here to live.” Bellamy gave her another quick once-over. “But not if you don’t play your cards right.” 

"Why not?” Melody knew that she was about to be treading in dangerous waters, but she couldn’t keep the taunting edge out of her voice as she threw his own words back at him once again. “Are you going to kill me, Bellamy?" 

"Not me, sweetheart. Them." Bellamy swept his arm out, gesturing towards the rest of the camp and its inhabitants. "The people get what they want. It's always been that way. I’m the one that has to deliver. They want Jasper dead; I have to be the one to kill him if he doesn't recover. If you go around sticking your knife into anyone that pisses you off…I’ll have no choice but to do something about it."

"You have a mind of your own, Bellamy." Melody wondered why everyone down here had forgotten that little fact. “You don’t have to do anything.” 

"That's where you're wrong, Melody." Bellamy gave a slow shake of his head. "I have to do a lot of things. I have to provide for these people. I have to try and keep peace between everyone. I have to decide what's best in the long run. I have to lead them."

It was the first time that Melody had ever taken Bellamy’s view on things into consideration. Their views couldn’t have been more conflicting. She could see where Bellamy’s train of thought stemmed form, and she supposed that he did have to do all of those things. But wasn’t it his own fault? Bellamy was the one who had stepped up and announced himself as their leader. If he couldn’t handle the heat, he should stay out of the kitchen. 

"I can't always protect you like I did tonight." Bellamy said quietly. His tone had lost most of its edge. Somehow, the gentleness in his voice had the opposite of the desired effect. 

"I never asked you to!" Melody snapped out, unable to control her flaring temper. His sudden desire to protect her was infuriating. "I can handle myself, Bellamy."

"You can’t, Melody.” He let out an exasperated breath. “You’re small. Weak. Untrained. You let your emotions control you. You’re nothing compared to Murphy or the others, even on your best day.” 

The words sparked a hatred like none other in Melody’s heart. The words hit far too close to home for her liking. For as long as she could remember, she’d been told the same things. She was too dainty. She was too fragile. She was too vulnerable. All her life people had been treating Melody like she was some sort of delicate little bird that needed saving. Her parents, her teachers, her friends, even her prison guards. And now Bellamy Blake. They all wrote her off as nothing more than a little slip of a girl who couldn’t take care of herself. 

Well, no more. 

"Screw you, Bellamy!” She glared up at him, pure loathing shining in her cold, green eyes. “I’m pretty sure I’m not the one that got herself stabbed today, now am I? Maybe we should go ask Murphy how weak I am.” 

"Damn it, Melody." Bellamy was quickly losing his own patience. "Don't you get it? These guys are criminals. They were in prison for a reason." 

Bellamy acted as if he had her best interests at heart, but Melody didn’t believe him for a second. He didn’t care about what happened to her. All he cared about was himself and his image. If Melody went around defying him at every turn and sticking her nose where it didn’t belong, then people would begin to question Bellamy’s authority. He was doing all of this for his own selfish reasons, even if he refused to admit it. It was always an angle with him, a way to make himself appear more powerful than he really was.

She wasn’t going to just sit by and watch bad things happen to good people. She’d never done it before and she wasn’t going to start now. 

"So was I." Melody’s voice wavered slightly. She wanted to sound tough and mysterious, but it wasn't really working out for her. “Contrary to popular belief, I do know how to handle myself.” 

It just didn't seem possible that Bellamy was looking out for her. Up until now, all of his actions had fueled by self-centered motives. He and Melody had been at each other’s throats from the very beginning. Everything she did seemed to just piss him off even further. And everything he did definitely pissed her off to no end. They had no common ground, aside from their stubbornness. Why in the world would Bellamy suddenly flip his switch and decide that he wanted to bury the hatchet? 

Sure, he had been nothing but good to her since he'd gotten back…but it had only been, what, thirty minutes? If that? Maybe he had pulled her away from that psychopath Murphy and his murderous tendencies, but that didn’t mean anything. Did it? 

For a moment, Melody allowed herself to wonder what if? What if Bellamy was being sincere? Maybe he really did want to look out for her. Maybe somewhere deep down he had a weakness for little girls with big attitudes and fire in their souls. Maybe she was just making an ass out of herself by constantly rebuffing him and questioning everything he said to her. 

No sooner than Melody had wondered all of these things, something between them seemed to shift.

Bellamy’s gaze darkened and a smug smirk spread across his face. The look he was giving her, like she was a fly caught in the spider’s web, caused Melody to take an involuntary step back. The man that had stood in front of her, the one who had almost seemed human in his attempts to advise her, was gone. In his place was the Bellamy that Melody knew all too well. The snarky, arrogant boy that knew how to get exactly what he wanted.

"Oh, I know, Melody." Bellamy’s voice was soft. It had almost a sinister edge. "I know exactly why you were thrown into the Sky Box."

 

|oOo|

 

It felt like she was suffocating. 

Melody’s chest constricted painfully, the tightness there rendering her breathless. She drew in ragged lungfuls of air, but nothing could ease the wildfire that was quickly taking over in her chest. There was a fire in her heart and ice in her veins, the pain unlike anything she’d ever felt before. Mel placed a palm against her heart in an attempt to calm its sporadic beating, but if anything that just seemed to spur it on even further. 

_This can't be happening._

It was like she was drowning, with no hope of ever reaching the surface. She was trying to run for her life, but she couldn’t. The panic that flowed through her veins was all-consuming. It felt like she needed to get out, like she needed to run, and if she didn’t she was surely going to die. But get out of where? Her own body? How could she run away from herself? And if death was coming to take all of these feelings away, she would almost welcome it. 

Melody had no idea how Bellamy could have gotten knowledge of her crimes against the Ark. She hadn't told a soul what she'd done to get admitted to the Sky Box. The only people to have access to those records were council members, guardsmen, and the Chancellor himself. Unless he was there that day…  
No. No one had been there. Melody remembered the day as clearly as if it had been yesterday.

* * *

_The door to the examination room slowly slid open as the doctor entered, clipboard in hand._

_"Melody. So good to see you." Doctor Jason Evans had greeted her as familiarly as any other day, with an all-too wide smile and a gentle hand on her shoulder._

_"Good afternoon, Doctor." Melody had replied, her tone a little less than friendly. A little too stiff. "I trust you're doing well."_

_Melody had always been a peculiar thirteen year old. She was much more mature than the other children her age. Having been raised only by her intelligent and well-mannered mother had turned Melody into an almost carbon copy. Most people found it adorable and endearing that she acted like a miniature adult. Melody found it to be normal. This was how proper young ladies were supposed to behave. This was all she had ever known._

_"Very well. Are you ill, Melody?" The doctor's tone had gone from good-natured to full of concern in a matter of moments._

_His hand reached for her then, and Melody forced herself not to cringe away from the touch that was far too personal for her liking. She felt his hand run through her hair, parting the reddish-orange  
strands and twirling them around in his fingers._

_"I'm not ill." Melody had replied, leaning out of his reach. "It's my mother."_

_The doctor no longer looked as concerned, which irritated Melody. For as long as she could remember the Good Doctor had been slipping into their quarters in the evening and leaving before the sun rose the next day. He and her mother had been involved in a relationship that Melody knew little about. What she saw with her own two eyes was very different from what had happened behind closed  
doors._

_"Oh. What does your mother need?" The doctor wondered, sounding slightly impatient now. "More sleeping pills? Extra food rations? I told her we'd have to be careful now. I cannot keep indulging her in such things."_

_Melody's discomfort and irritation only continued to grow with each word that the doctor spoke. He'd provided her and her mother with so much over the years that they had grown to depend on him.  
Alone they could not provide for themselves. That was why he'd been allowed into their lives in the first place. It had been a mistake to allow him to have so much power over their lives, over them. _

_Melody was intent on rectifying that mistake._

_"Actually, she says she no longer needs your food rations or sleeping pills. I'm old enough to work in the factory now." Melody said boldly, swinging her small legs that didn't quite reach the floor back and forth. "Mother says I can pay for my own rations and sleep no longer troubles her."_

_The words were a lie. Melody's mother hadn't told her to tell the doctor anything of the sort. In fact, Melody's mother was currently at home sleeping off the previous over-night shift in the factory. It had been her own idea to come down and settle things. It was something she’d been thinking about for a while, ever since she’d become old enough to realize the reality of their unique situation. Of course, her mother had never said anything about not wanting the doctor in their lives. But she hadn't needed to._

_Melody saw the bruises. She noticed the way her mother flinched at the smallest of things, such as a door closing too loudly or a book falling off of a shelf. Melody's mother had never been strong.  
She'd always been weak; submissive, even. She'd allowed the doctor to rule their lives for too long and Melody was beginning to catch on now. She couldn’t let it continue. _

_Melody felt that it was her duty to change things. After all, she'd failed to protect her mother from this sinister man for so many years. She wouldn't let even one more day go by without standing up for the only person she had ever truly loved. Maybe she was small, and maybe she was weak, but she was determined._

_To Melody's surprise the doctor looked angry after she had spoken. She'd expected him to be relieved. He no longer had to take care of them as he had been doing for the last few years. He didn't have to risk his job and his life to sneak them the extra little things that they'd required over the years to survive. He was finally free of them, the burden that he’d shouldered for so many years._

_"She thinks she can just get rid of me?" Doctor Evans practically snarled the words as he grabbed Melody by the shoulder. His good-naturedness had disappeared completely, and was replaced with pure rage. The look in his eyes terrified Melody, who up until this point had never been involved in any sort of confrontation._

_"I-I don't know." Stammered the small girl, looking up at the male with wide eyes._

_"Well I'll show her. I'll show the both of you. I've done an awful lot for you, Melody Pond. An awful lot." He said again, to emphasize his words. "And I think it's about time I get something in return.  
Melody was confused. She didn't have anything to offer the doctor. So, she tried to reason with him. "I don't have anything. Mother just told me to-"_

_Her head roughly snapped to one side then, causing a sickening crack to echo throughout the room. There was a sharp ringing noise resonating in the small space; or perhaps it was only in her ears. It took Melody a few moments to realize that the Doctor had actually slapped her._

_The young girl pressed one hand to her cheek which was quickly growing warm as it throbbed beneath her tentative fingers. To say that she was surprised would be an understatement. Melody was surprised, but most of all she was afraid, very afraid, and disgusted. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes as she stared over at him, her image of the man completely changing in a matter of moments._

_What kind of man preyed on children?_

_Melody never got her answer._

_All she got in return to her silent question was the sound of his belt falling to the floor._

_And she was were never the same after that._

* * * 

"Melody?"

A hand on Melody's shoulder caused her to lash out blindly. She was still lost in a dream-like state as she recalled memories that she had forced herself to bury many years ago. Memories that were better left untouched. 

The sound of skin-on-skin contact made her look up with wide eyes. Mel could see the red mark already beginning to form on Bellamy's face. He'd grabbed her wrist with one hand and now held it, suspended in mid-air.

Bellamy looked furious and it caused Melody take a hasty step backwards. This obviously surprised Bellamy; Melody had never backed away from confrontation, not with him. She'd always seemed to embrace it. That was something that he had always admired about her, although he would never admit it out loud. The girl in front of him was anything but admirable; she was almost a puddle at his feet.

Something resembling concern flickered in his eyes for a moment before Bellamy let go of Melody's wrist and stepped backwards himself. He didn’t know how to process seeing this side of her. So weak and vulnerable. 

Melody's voice was hoarse when she spoke. "How did you find out?" There was an urgency present in her tone; she sounded desperate. She felt desperate, as if her whole world was caving in around her. 

"I was training to be a guard back then. There was news about some kid that had killed a doctor in cold blood. A little girl that was only thirteen years old…Her name was Melody. Melody Pond." Bellamy explained, crossing his arms over his chest almost defensively. As if he was the one who should be defensive. "You talked about being sent to the Sky Box when you were young. You said you hadn't talked to another human being in years. You're always the first one ready to stand up and fight, even if the odds are stacked against you, because you know you can handle yourself when it comes down to it. You've done it before and you can do it again."

Bellamy's assessment of her made Melody's blood run cold. Bellamy Blake was the last person that she wanted to know about her deep, dark secret. Melody suddenly felt like she had when she was a  
child; weak, defenseless, and terrified. The tough outer shell that she had tried to build up over the last few years and especially over the last few days was slowly crumbling into dust. Bellamy somehow saw through it, and that thought alone was terrifying. 

“I was a different person back then.” She wanted to sound strong and secure, but her voice broke in the middle of her sentence. Melody cleared her throat. “I don’t make it a habit of just going around and killing people.”

“Just stabbing them, right?” Asked Bellamy. The words were meant to be a joke, but the severity of the situation was dire. It wasn’t something that Melody could take lightly, and so she didn’t even so much as crack a smile. 

"Bellamy…" Melody trailed off, not knowing what to say. Every instinct told her to get on her knees and beg him not to tell anyone. But Melody was not the begging type. She never had been and never would be. Not if she could help it. 

"I won't tell anyone, Melody." Bellamy said suddenly, surprising her. "We all have our secrets, don't we?" 

Why the hell would he make it a point to let her know that he knew her secret if he didn’t plan on using it against her? 

An odd look had clouded over his face. It was as if he understood her urgency to keep this between the two of them and was rethinking his gameplan. Melody wondered for a moment what Bellamy was hiding, but she didn’t allow herself to dwell on it. She couldn’t. 

"Yes." Melody nodded slowly, not fully trusting him to keep his word. "We do. And I'd like for my skeletons to stay in the closet. After all, I've been pardoned, right?"

Bellamy smiled slightly at Melody's comment, which held just the slightest hint of sarcasm. She was beginning to sound a bit like her old self again. For a few moments she had scared him, which was not an easy thing to do. Melody was a pain in his ass, but Bellamy respected her. She knew what she want and she went for it, even if the odds weren’t in her favor. That was admirable. Seeing her so vulnerable had unsettled him in ways he didn't know to be possible. Just as Melody was certain he had a deep dark secret, Bellamy was certain that her story had more to it than she let on.

"Right. Pardoned." Bellamy agreed, nodding his head and looking at her once more. It was a relief to see that she had managed to compose herself once more. "Now run along and check on goggle boy."

Melody was eager to do just that. The fact that she had let her guard down like that around Bellamy was mortifying. He'd nearly seen her fall apart at the seams as those horrid memories assaulted her mind. Luckily, Melody had managed to pick herself back up again before she'd been reduced to the frightened, sniveling little girl that she had been so many years ago. Just barely, though. 

She all but ran to the dropship. It had been nearly half an hour since Clarke had returned with the medicine. Melody knew that by now she would have brewed the tea that could potentially save Jasper's life. While they'd been busy helping Jasper, she'd been trapped in her own personal hell; her own mind. Assaulted by memories that should have been left in the dark. That would have been left there, if not for Bellamy. 

Mel climbed the ladder with an urgency to forget the event that had just taken place in Bellamy's tent. She wanted nothing more than to bury those memories away again and lock them up, just as she had managed to do before. But Melody knew that it would never happen. Tonight her dreams would be nightmares. The face of Doctor Evans would haunt her dreams for the first time in years.

_You wouldn't be worth the guilt._

Melody recalled saying those words to Bellamy when they'd been fighting a few days earlier. He had probably brushed them off as meaningless, but they held a lot of meaning for Melody. The guilt never really went away. She had managed to stop thinking about the night she'd killed Jason Evans, but it was always lingering in the background.

And Bellamy had brought it to light.

"There she is." Monty's friendly voice was warm and welcoming as Melody entered the upper level of the dropship. "Clarke just made the tea."

Melody looked around the room that was filled with people she was slowly beginning to care about. They all looked at her with wide smiles, eager to update her on Jasper's progress. There wasn't much progress of course, but nevertheless they filled her in with every little detail. They cared enough to keep her informed. They cared enough to make her feel like a part of every little step towards Jasper's recovery; the bottom line was, they cared about her.

Bonds formed quickly on Earth. Everyone was beginning to realize that this was it; they were all each other had. Melody had realized this herself just before joining her friends in the dropship. She had  
to let go of her grudges and move on; there was no time to be petty.

"I hear you stabbed Murphy in the leg." Finn said, grinning at Melody. There was just a hint of pride in his voice. Melody returned the smile and shrugged one shoulder in response.

The memory of what she had done to Murphy made her think of the conversation she'd just had with Bellamy. His warnings and his revelations…None of which sat well with her. It was all she could think about. It wasn’t all-consuming as it had been. She wasn’t physically brought to the point of pain by her panic anymore. She’d composed herself slightly. Just enough to pick herself up and make it through the rest of the night. 

"She totally kicked ass." Monty said, smiling as he moved forward to wrap one arm around Melody's shoulder. "She's the reason Jasper's alive right now."

The words caused Melody to pause.

She looked down at the boy who was already beginning to regain a bit of his color. The tea wasn't working quickly, but it was working. Had Melody not been there to stop Murphy, Jasper may not have made it long enough to stand a chance at fighting whatever was slowly taking over his body. She was the reason he was still fighting. She was the reason Jasper would live another day. This should have made her happy.

"You did a good job, Melody." Clarke praised her, offering one of her small, pleasant smiles. "You saved his life."

The words were meant to make Melody feel good, but all they did was make her feel even worse than before. The one thing about your past is that you can never escape it; Melody was no exception to the rule.

And while they cheered her on for saving a life, Melody couldn't help but wonder how they would react if they knew she had ended one just as easily.


	8. Chapter 8

They discovered that Melody had an infectious laugh.

When she had first openly laughed at some half-assed joke from Finn, everyone had kind of grown quiet. But Melody hadn't even noticed. What had started out as a small string of giggles had soon turned into full blown clutch-your-sides, rolling-on-the-floor _howling._ Mel couldn't even remember the last time she'd laughed without having to force it. And now that the laughter had started, she was finding it hard to stop. The joke hadn't been that funny; it hadn't even been clever. But it didn't stop Melody from laughing until her sides ached and tears streamed down her face. And soon they were all joining in, unable to feel anything other than amazement at how much Melody had changed in just a matter of hours.

When they did finally manage to sober up, they were all wearing matching grins. Even Melody who, up until this moment, hadn't even known it was possible to be this happy. Once she had made the decision to let these people into her life whole-heartedly, everything had changed. Melody no longer felt like it was her against the world. For the first time ever, she had friends. People that were there for her simply because they cared. People that asked how she was doing and actually wanted an answer. People that accepted her for her. 

And all they wanted in return was her friendship. It was a strange concept, but it was one that Melody was quickly coming to accept.  
Octavia, Monty, Melody, and Finn were sitting in a semi-circle on one side of the upper level, letting Jasper rest as the medicinal tea worked its way through his body. Finn had brought back a flask that he'd found in some abandoned car and offered to share it amongst the four of them as they told stories and cracked jokes to pass the time. After much  
debate, it was decided that Melody would get the honor of the first taste.

She didn’t allow herself to hesitate. She took the bottle from Finn and brought it to her lips, throwing back a large swallow of the foreign drink before she could change her mind.  
The potent liquid burned through Melody like wildfire, leaving a strong but enjoyable warmth in its wake. Coughing and sputtering, Melody buried her face in the crook of her elbow as her first taste of alcohol was forever burned into her mind; and her throat. 

"Holy shit." She didn't like the taste of the whiskey or the burning sensation, but she found it fun to indulge in something "forbidden" for once in her life.

The drink was then passed to her left, to Monty. He took a longer swallow than she had, which ended in a grimace. "Smooth." He commented, passing the bottle to Octavia.

Octavia was more hesitant than Melody would have expected her to be. After all, this was the girl who jumped headfirst into any kind of rebellious adventure. It took a little bit of convincing, but eventually Octavia gave in and she too brought the bottle too her lips. The look on her face was priceless. 

"Disgusting…love it." Octavia wrinkled her nose and handed the bottle back to Finn.

Finn took the bottle back with a laugh. Out of all of them, it seemed that he was the one who could handle his liquor the best. Monty was runner up, of course, and then Octavia. Melody was dead last. No one else had nearly choked to death on the liquor.

Just when Finn was bringing the flask back to his lips, a new sound made them all pause. 

A new voice.

Jasper's voice.

"Can I, uh…get a hit of that?"

There was a moment of stunned silence while they all exchanged awestruck glances. In sync, they all scrambled to their feet and took off in the direction of Jasper’s bedside. Melody practically tripped over her own two feet several times in her attempt to reach him. She didn’t know if it was the alcohol or just her own clumsiness, but she didn’t pause long enough to figure it out. 

"Jasper!" Monty had leapt onto the make-shift bed and was leaning over Jasper by the time the rest of them got there. The joyous look on his face made Melody want to burst into happy sobs; he was just so relieved. And eager. The friendship between the two boys made her both happy and envious at the same time. 

Finn gently cupped the back of Jasper's head and let him drink, as requested, but not from the bottle. Seeing as how he had just narrowly escaped death, the only thing they allowed him to drink was water. If Clarke even suspected that they’d given him anything else, they would be the ones laying on the death bed. 

"Welcome back, buddy." Finn grinned down at Jasper. 

The boy gave him a weak smile in return.

Monty reached out and clasped Jasper's hands, giving him a half-assed high-five. Melody suspected that Monty was just looking for some physical contact judging by the way he gripped Jasper's hands tightly for a few moments. It was one thing to hear him and see him, but to feel him made it real. 

And then, Melody couldn't contain herself anymore.

With a quiet sob, she threw her arms around Jasper as gently as possible and clung to him without putting too much pressure on his wound. For the first time the seriousness of the situation hit her like a ton of bricks. Hearing Jasper's voice and watching him smile had caused her to come un-done. What if she had never heard that beautiful voice again? The thought seemed almost unbearable now.

"Hi, Mellie." Jasper whispered quietly, lifting one arm to wrap it around her shoulders. Melody knew that it must have been painful for him to move, for him to be holding onto her, but he didn't complain. 

"I thought you were dead." Melody whispered, her voice ragged as she pulled back to look down at his face. Oh, that beautiful face. Color was beginning to seep back into his skin and for the first time in days Jasper looked like a person rather than a corpse.

"You and me both.” His response was accompanied by a shaky laugh. "Was that a dream or did I get speared?" 

"You'll have a very impressive scar to prove it." Clarke had climbed the last few rungs of the ladder, overhearing the conversation, and she hurried to join them by Jasper's bedside.

"My savior." Jasper said in a sing-song voice. A real grin lit up his face then as he looked at Clarke, who was very much the reason he had survived. 

"Thank you for not dying. I don't think I could have taken that today." Clarke admitted with a shaky laugh.

"I'll try not to die tomorrow, too, if that's cool." Replied Jasper, causing them all to laugh. Even in such a grave situation he didn't fail to make them all feel a hundred times better.  
Better than any of them had felt in days.

It was then that Octavia reached out to him, gently placing one hand on his arm. Jasper turned his head then, noticing her for the first time. Another grin broke out on his face as he got that mischievous look in his eyes. "Oh, hello."

And for then, things were alright.

 

|oOo|

 

Bad news always seemed to follow the good. That was proven when not even a few days after Jasper escaped death, someone else succumbed to it.  
Clarke found Wells' lifeless body at his post just after dawn only two days after Jasper had woken up. Wells had been on watch that night, so no one had really noticed his absence from the camp. It wasn't until the next morning when they still hadn't seen him that Clarke began to worry; and she worried alone. Wells was not the kind of guy that could easily blend into the background because he was the kind of guy that always had something to say. He was the know-it-all type that acted as if he were superior to everyone around him. That was why most people didn't look for him. And it was why even more didn't truly mourn him.

Melody mourned him, though. Not because she had liked Wells, because she really hadn't. She and Bellamy had the same opinion on the boy. Wells had come down to Earth and had tried to run things, and that was his first mistake. Being the chancellor's son had made him an unspoken target, but by pulling his holier-than-thou act he had sealed his fate.  
Melody mourned him because while she didn't like Wells she didn't dislike him either. The boy hadn't done anything to cross Melody and even if he had, he was still a human being. And he, like everybody else, deserved to be remembered.

And he would be remembered by her always; remembered as the boy who had saved Jasper's life with his knowledge of botany and Earth Skills.

Life went on in the aftermath of Wells' death. Even those who had felt bad about Wells' death went on with their business as usual. There was nothing they could do for the boy now. He was dead and they were still in the middle of a war with the grounders. The most anyone did was dig him a grave, as Wells' had done for several others.

Melody spent her days alternating between the upper level of the dropship and the lower level. Jasper was still on the mend, but he was quickly regaining his strength. Just a few hours after he'd woken up, Jasper was sitting up and cracking jokes as if he'd never been injured in the first place. That didn't stop Melody, Monty, and Octavia from watching after him in shifts. After the stunt with Murphy, none of them dared to leave Jasper unprotected. John Murphy didn't seem like the type to forgive and forget.

Monty was still as busy as ever as he tampered with the wristbands and attempted to bring them back to life. He'd been unsuccessful for the longest time. All of the wristbands he got his hands on had already been dead for far too long to be of any use. He'd tried to use a fresh one, Octavia's, but it had immediately lost all connection to the Ark upon removal. The boy was quickly becoming frustrated, but Melody continued to remind him that he just had to keep trying.

Hope was all they had left these days.

Currently he was sitting on the floor in the lower level, making himself busy while working on Clarke's wristband. The girl had willingly offered it up, despite her earlier ferocity whenever someone suggested removing it. Melody suspected she had ulterior motives. But who was she to suggest so?

The hatch to the upper level was open, as it often was when they were all in the dropship. The ship was primarily used as an infirmary, so they pretty much had it all to themselves unless someone was badly injured. Everyone else spent their time either hunting, building the wall that surrounded camp, or making themselves busy with simple tasks. They were beginning to fall into an easy routine as they all worked hard to cohabitate with one another. The fighting was at an all-time low and Melody was rather impressed with the bunch of delinquents who had managed to band together for the greater good.

As Melody saw it, there were two groups in the camp. There was us; her and her friends, and them: the rest of the world. They were two entities working as one in order to survive.  
Bellamy's group was working hard to survive in the now, and Melody's group was working hard to survive in the long run. Which meant trying to communicate with the Ark, rationing supplies, and doing a whole bunch of other stuff that no one else seemed concerned with.

"You're frowning again."

Jasper's voice startled Melody out of her little trance. Their gazes' clashed -steely green meeting warm brown- and remained locked for a few moments. It was becoming increasingly easier for Melody to let others in, but it was still a lot of work. She'd only been willing to "open up" for a matter of days now, and she was still trying to find the balance between sharing and over-sharing her thoughts. It didn't help any that her first instinct was to immediately push everyone away and deal with her problems alone.

Eventually, she gave into Jasper's probing stare and voiced her troubles.

"I'm worried that we won't be able to survive the winter." Admitted Melody, surprised to feel some of the tension leave her body once her thoughts were out in the open. "We’re learning to hunt and gather, but what about the snow? The freezing temperatures? Without the Ark's help, we might not make it through this."

"Hey, calm down." Jasper said softly, giving her his most hopeful smile. "Monty will get in touch with the Ark. And even if he can't, which he can, we'll manage. We are Apache."

Those three little words never failed to bring a smile to Melody's face. The symbolic meaning behind them ran deeper than anything. They had left an impact on her that would  
never go away. We are Apache. It was kind of like their mantra now. A beacon of hope that reminded them all that they could get through anything Earth happened to throw at them. 

"You're right." Melody agreed, her tone soft and thoughtful. "We've got each other to lean on now. That's all we need." She reached out and grabbed Jasper's hand, wrapping her slender fingers around his much larger ones.

They were survivors. Melody was sure of this, if not anything else. Ark or no, they were going to make it down here. Even if just barely. 

Melody was caught somewhere between being a realist and an optimist; but at least she was no longer a pessimist. Jasper had been the one to nip that habit in the bud. He was constantly reminding Melody about the good fortune they'd had down on Earth and insisting that things would only get better. Jasper Jordan –previously known as grounder bait- of all people was reassuring her that they had it good. If he could still have hope then so could Melody.

As if to prove Jasper's point about things only looking up, Monty's voice soon called out excitedly. "I did it. It's still operational!"

He’d fixed the wristbands. 

Melody and Jasper exchanged wide, somewhat surprised but knowing grins. Melody had found that they didn't always need words to communicate; simple glances and soft smiles were almost always enough to convey messages. Like right now, Jasper was clearly saying "I told you so." Only he said it with that mischievous glint in his eye rather than with actual words. 

Mel gave his hand one final squeeze and released it before standing up. Jasper nodded his head towards the little "door" between the levels, silently letting Melody know that he would be fine for a few minutes while she went down to see what Monty had gotten himself all worked up about.

She wasted no time in hurrying down the ladder. They’d all been waiting for Monty to make a breakthrough and now that it had become a reality, it seemed that everyone was there, seeking answers. When Melody reached the lower level, Monty was still submersed in work at his little make-shift station. Clarke and Finn hovered by the door, as if they’d been preparing to leave before Monty had spoken. 

Melody arrived just in time to catch the last half of Monty's sentence. 

"...talking to The Ark by nightfall."

Melody let go of the ladder and dropped the last few inches that were between her and the floor. There was a hint of pride in her smile as she neared Monty, who was busily messing with…whatever that was. Some sort of control panel? Melody had never been able to speak engineer.

"Way to go, Monty!" Congratulated Melody. She placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I knew you could do it."

Her gaze shifted then towards his work. It all looked like a jumble of wires that he'd pulled out from behind the control panel. Monty's quick fingers seemed to fiddle with ease, connecting certain wires and detaching others so that he could connect the wristband to the dropship's mainframe and reverse the communication system.

"Do you need any help?" Melody's offer was genuine, but her voice suggested otherwise. There was no hiding her uncertainty and confusion. This was definitely not her area of expertise.

Monty snorted, giving Melody a look that clearly said get real. "You don't know the first thing about engineering, Mels." He pointed this out with a look on his face that had Melody laughing rather than feeling offended. "Just stand there and look pretty, okay?"

"Yes, sir." Melody mock saluted Monty as she turned away from him. 

Melody’s gaze found Finn first, and she decided to join him in watching the activity that was going on outside. He held the curtain-like material of the dropship ‘door’ high above their heads, leaving a small opening for the two of them to look through. Mel somehow leaned against both Finn and the doorway as she squeezed her way in, curious as to what progress was being made beyond the dropship’s doors. 

What she saw really shouldn’t have surprised her, but it did. 

Bellamy had put everyone to work. Everyone. The bigger, stronger guys had been given the task of building the wall that was going to surround their camp. Some of them cut down tree limbs that could be used to their advantage. Others transported these makeshift posts across the camp so that they could be added to the ever-growing collection of posts that made up the wall. There were several ‘stations’ that were spread sporadically throughout camp. Some were for tying the posts together, others were for sharpening their ends into spikes. No one in camp was left without a task, aside from those who remained in the dropship. 

Melody agreed with the goal that Bellamy had given them, which was to have the wall finished within the next few days. But she didn't agree with his means of achieving it. This was practically slave labor. Working for no compensation, with no breaks, and being ruled by the fear that if you failed in your tasks you would be punished. And with John Murphy patrolling and overseeing things, there definitely would be punishments. 

This was proven when a boy, Melody thought she’d heard him referred to as Connor, halted his work and took a seat on the ground. It was a matter of seconds before Murphy saw this and pounced.

"Hey! What gives? You think the grounders are just gonna sit around and wait for us to finish this wall?” Demanded Murphy, his eyes blazing. “Maybe we should just let the little girl do the heavy lifting for you.”

The girl in question couldn’t have been more than twelve or thirteen years old, and unlucky enough to be within earshot of the scene. And yet for some reason Murphy had her out there working, trying posts together with strips of vine. Melody didn’t think it was unreasonable for people to earn their keep, to help fortify their camp, but she didn't like the fact that this little girl -or anyone for that matter- was out there working for Murphy. 

"I just need some water, okay? Then I'll be fine." The boy, Conner, insisted. He didn’t move from his position on the ground, and it occurred to Melody that maybe he hadn’t sat.  
Maybe he’d collapsed. 

Even though it was more than reasonable for Conner to want a water break, or any break considering he’d been working since sun-up, Melody knew that it would provoke an unfavorable response from Murphy. 

"Murphy, get this guy some water." Bellamy had joined the two of them now, and was taking on the role of mediator. He and Murphy exchanged a glance, and then Murphy was walking off in the direction of the water basin. 

That had gone better than expected.

Bellamy’s attention shifted towards the little girl, who was still sitting there trying the posts together and minding her own business. "Hey, you got this?" Bellamy glanced between the girl and the log that Connor had dropped.

The question sparked feelings of outrage in Melody. She burst forward, intent on telling Bellamy Blake exactly where he could shove that log, only to be stopped by Finn's strong arm as it shot out to prevent her from moving forward. Her eyes were alit with anger as she looked up at Finn, wondering why he’d stopped her. He stared back at her, raising his eyebrows slightly. His message was clear; wait to see how it plays out.

It proved to be a good thing that Finn had stopped Melody before she could do something rash. Had she been allowed to continue on, she surely would have marched over to Bellamy and picked a fight. The two of them may have had a moment of slight understanding in his tent, but that meant virtually nothing to Melody now. Men like Bellamy Blake, cowards who ruled by scaring others, brought out a side of Melody that was absolutely rabid.

If Melody had approached Bellamy, things surely would have spiraled into insanity. That always seemed to happen when the two of them got together. But she didn't. Instead, Melody sat back and watched as Bellamy quickly hurried forward to stop the girl from picking up the discarded log. It was obvious then that he had only been joking with her from the beginning. Bellamy flashed the girl one of his very rare genuine smiles before lifting the log and carrying it towards the group that was busily carving the logs into spikes.

 _Bless you, Finn._ Melody thanked the boy silently, grateful that he hadn't allowed her to make a fool of herself in her rashness.

Melody had just begun think that maybe their little system wasn't so horrible when Murphy returned. Before anyone knew what was happening, he had unzipped his pants and was drenching Connor's back with piss. 

There it was, one of the many reasons that Melody would never agree with the way Bellamy and Murphy ran things. It was do or die. They wanted followers that would simply sit down, shut up, and do whatever they demanded. It was like they didn’t even want them to be people. Just soldiers. Willing to take orders and do manual labor. 

"You wanted a water break." Murphy smirked over at Connor, who was struggling against the many hands that restrained him. Having proven his point and exerted his superiority over them all, Murphy turned his attention back towards the crowd with a sharp, "Get back to work!"

Murphy was one of the most foul, loathsome creatures to ever roam the planet and Melody was proud when she noticed the slight limp in his gait. Her fingers gently caressed the handle of her knife, which hung from a notch in the belt she wore. 

Let Murphy try something like that with her. 

"Hey, Mel?" Octavia's voice floated down from the upper level. 

Melody had almost forgotten that she’d left Octavia with Jasper. At the time, the girl had been resting rather than keeping watch over their wounded friend. Not that he really needed to be watched anymore, but that didn’t stop any of them from keeping up with their shifts. 

"Everything okay?" Wondered Melody as she watched Octavia descend down the ladder.

Melody was surprised to see another set of boots on the metal rungs of the ladder, just above Octavia's head. She watched almost anxiously as Jasper slowly made his way down to the lower level. It was the first time he had been ventured off of the upper level since he'd been awake, which was going on a week now. They’d all been worried that he was going to overexert himself too soon into his recovery. No one wanted to risk the chance of him worsening his condition when they’d just barely gotten him stable. 

"We're going to go outside. Get some fresh air." Explained Octavia as she reached out and helped Jasper down the last few steps. Once they were both firmly on the ground, Octavia’s gaze flickered towards Melody. "Is that cool?"

"Of course. Why would you…?” Melody trailed off, shooting Octavia a quizzical look.

It took a few moments for Melody to realize what Octavia was doing. She was asking for permission. Maybe Melody was a little protective over Jasper, but she was definitely not his keeper. She’d made it clear that she trusted Octavia and Monty with Jasper's well-being, but it was no long hers to entrust to anyone. Jasper was alive and well which meant that it was his turn to make the decisions for himself. Melody no longer had the right.

"Clarke said he should be okay to move around a bit.” Melody shrugged. “It's his decision."

Octavia's eyes lit up and she smiled up at Jasper. Although he returned the smile, Melody could see his reluctance. Octavia may not have picked up on it, but it was hard for Melody to miss. She figured Jasper might be a little scared about going outside again. The last time he had done so, he had almost been killed. But Jasper couldn't live his life in fear. That wasn’t really living. Melody knew that better than anyone. 

That's why she urged him outside.

"Go on, Goggle Boy." Mel said teasingly, using the pet name with great affection. "We're right here if you need us."

Jasper seemed to appreciate that. At the very least, it gave him whatever courage he needed to venture outside. He looked over at Melody and offered her a faint smile before allowing Octavia to drag him outside. Although he was still a tiny bit reluctant, Jasper definitely didn't seem to mind the fact that Octavia was currently holding his hand. That alone would have been enough to make him brave a whole army of grounders. 

Melody smiled to herself as the two of them walked away. 

Octavia was good for Jasper, even if Melody hadn't realized it before. Even if she was still having a hard time accepting it. She had always blamed Octavia for Jasper getting hurt.  
After all, he had jumped in the lake to save her. Swung across the creek first to impress her. It had taken Melody a long while to realize that she had been looking at it all wrong. In a weird way, Octavia brought out a better side of Jasper. She helped to make him brave and confident and strong in a world where he was constantly one of the weakest links.  
Where they all were. 

Octavia was not a curse, but a blessing.

Melody watched the two of them walk off hand in hand, until they disappeared. Then she turned her attention back towards Monty, who was still fast at work on the wristbands. He was always so quiet when he worked that she almost forget he was there.

“How’s it coming, Monty?”

"It's coming, Mel." Monty smiled, but his voice was strained. "Slowly."

Melody admired Monty and his willingness to persist. He wasn't the kind of guy who gave up very easily. Each failure brought him closer to success, and Monty realized this. He didn't like it, but he accepted it. He never really let anyone see him lose hope. Sometimes he was careless and honest around Melody, but only because she was always the first one to remind him that he could do it. 

"Come on, Slick. You can't give up on us now." Melody chided gently, pleased when a grin spread across Monty's face. He liked when she called him Slick or Brainiac or something else of that degree. The way he beamed when she did this caused Melody to feel warm and gooey inside. She liked being the reason behind someone's smile. Especially someone  
as sweet and selfless as Monty.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're pretty amazing, Mels?" Asked Monty, trying his own hand at flattery. He wasn't just saying the words to say them; he meant them whole-heartedly.

"Well, you have." Melody pretended to look thoughtful. "So that makes…one." She grinned at him as she moved forward to lean against the little makeshift workbench that he had created.

Monty smiled and shook his head at her. It still amazed him how much Melody had changed over the last week or so. It was like something inside of her had snapped and she'd suddenly realized that they were all on the same side. Since then she had been smiling and laughing more than usual. They'd all discovered that Melody was a nice girl underneath  
her tough exterior. She was always the first one to offer encouraging words when they were needed and she was fiercely protective over the few people she cared for. Even  
Octavia. That alone said something about how much Mel had changed in the last few days.

"Do you think we'll really be able to talk to them?" Asked Melody in an almost hesitant voice.

The best thing about Melody and Monty's relationship was that they didn't sugarcoat things. They were both usually pretty honest and open about their thoughts and ideas. Melody felt that she could trust Monty not to judge or laugh at her when she tried to be serious and thoughtful. And in return, Monty knew that he could trust Melody with anything he said because she wasn't like the others; she was the kind of girl you could actually trust.

"I hope so. I think if I wire it right we'll be able to see them, too." Monty’s voice grew steadily more excited with every word. It was obvious that he was pleased about Melody's interest in his work.

"Really? How?" She wondered, looking at the wristband that he was wrapping in wire. There was no screen of any sort on it, so Melody knew that he must have another idea.

Monty pointed across the room to where a small television-like device hung on the wall. It was what they'd watched the Chancellor's message on when they had been about to  
leave the Ark. Melody had full faith in Monty. If he could reverse the wristband, he could reverse the television.

"Oh Monty, you're a genius!" Melody exclaimed, becoming more excited with each passing moment. Now that she could actually see his ideas being put into motion, it was much  
easier to believe that all of this was possible. 

The chances of her being able to talk with anyone on the Ark was slim. She figured that it would be up to Clarke to communicate with them. Bellamy had no interest in talking to  
the Ark, so she doubted their fearless leader would be up for the task. Clarke, however, was rather important as well, being the only doctor on Earth. Not to mention she was the only one who took charge aside from Bellamy. She would be their spokesperson when Monty finally managed to make contact. And then, things would be put into motion. 

"I like to think so." Monty grinned. "I just don't know how we're going to talk to them. I can probably use Morris code with the wristband. I can turn it on and off to represent different letters. But that'll only work if they're watching closely. And they won't be able to hear us."

Yet another flaw in the master plan. On the bright side, at least they had a way of telling the Ark that they were still alive. If the wristbands suddenly turned back on, they would surely realize that someone had turned them on. That alone was a good first step.

"I'm sure it'll all work out for the best, Monty." Melody insisted wasn’t going to allow him to become discouraged. Not when they were so close to making contact with the Ark. 

"Now get back to work, Slick. Talking to the Ark by nightfall, remember?” 

"Yeah, yeah.” Monty rolled his eyes and waved her away with a flick of his wrist. “Hey, would you mind refilling the canteen before you go? We’re running low on water.” 

"Sure.” Melody was eager to help. Now that Jasper had regained his independence, she was beginning to feel a bit useless. "Unless Bellamy puts me to work first."

They exchanged a serious glance for a moment and then burst into laughter at the idea of Bellamy putting her to work. Not only was Melody too small to do most of the hands-on activities, but she had no desire in helping Bellamy with anything. He was well aware of that little fact, which was why he hadn't bothered recruiting her. And as long as she was in the dropship she was staying out of trouble, which meant he didn’t have to worry about running behind her and doing damage control.

Plus, Melody had a feeling that Bellamy already knew her group would put up some sort of resistance if he tried to treat them as he treated the others. And if Bellamy hated anything, it was being publicly defied.

Melody exited the dropship, heading for the basin that was storing all of the drinking water. A group of gatherers had found a little stream close to camp, and they’d been  
transporting water back and forth several times a day. It went pretty quickly, what with almost one hundred people slaving away in the hot sun. Melody slowly re-filled their bottle up despite the dirty looks she got from one of the girls that was busily replenishing the supply.

“Nice day, isn’t it?” Chirped Melody, her smile sweet as sugar. 

She had just barely re-attached the bottle to one of the makeshift clips on her belt when she heard something that made her pause. It had almost sounded like…screaming? 

Melody cocked her head to the side and listened, brows furrowing slightly. The sound was distant, coming from somewhere beyond the wall. She couldn’t tell whether or not it was the good kind of screaming, or the bad kind. There was always a fifty-fifty chance. Sometimes the delinquents hollered and whooped simply to hear the sounds of their own voices. 

The next shout was louder, sharper, and it didn’t take long for Melody to recognize the voice. 

It was Jasper. 

And he was shouting for Octavia.

It didn’t take Melody very long to piece together what had happened. Octavia hadn’t just taken Jasper out for some fresh air. She’d taken him out beyond the wall. Back into enemy territory, even if just slightly. No doubt she’d been trying to help, but so soon after his attack? Melody never would have agreed to that. Jasper wasn’t ready.  
Panic rushed through Melody at the thought of what might be happening outside of the wall. That fear fueled her body and threw her into motion. She was running as fast as she could towards the entrance to camp, wondering how on Earth Octavia had managed to sneak past Bellamy's watchful eye. No one was allowed outside unless they were getting supplies; no one. And this was the reason why.

If anything had happened to either one of them…Melody didn’t even want to think about it. The thought made her chest constrict with panic, that familiar breathless feeling taking over. It was better to focus on finding the two of them rather than how she might find them.  
Melody managed to worm her way through a tight gap in the wall. She slipped out undetected, and jogged a few feet before she paused and looked around. Her gaze whipped around the forest several times before she saw an object moving near the tree line. She recognized that jacket; it was the one Jasper had been wearing earlier.

"Jasper?" Melody wasn’t sure whether she should be relieved or scared at the moment.

Jasper continued deeper into the forest until he reached a large boulder that was several hundred feet away, just at the edge of the trees. As soon as Jasper came to a stop, two people burst out from behind the oversized rock. The first was a dark-skinned guy that Melody didn't recognize. He jumped out from behind the rock screaming, which caused Jasper to jerk backwards and trip over his own two feet. 

The other person that emerged from behind the rock was Octavia. She stumbled, led by the male that had a grip on her arm. As Octavia began to struggle, he released her with a loud laugh and was immediately met by her small hand shoving against his chest.

"Hey, jerk! Get the hell out of here." Octavia commanded, glaring at the guy before turning her worried -and slightly regretful- gaze towards Jasper. “You okay, Jas?” 

Nothing could have prepared the boy for Melody's fury.

Before anyone had even noticed her presence among them, Melody's first was connecting with the boy’s jaw. There was a sharp snap, accompanied by shooting pains that shot from her wrist to her shoulder, which momentarily paused her. She had thrown her whole body into the punch, knowing that it would do more damage. What she hadn't anticipated was that it would do damage to both of them. A dull throbbing sensation quickly began to settle throughout her entire left arm. But the pain was nothing compared to the embarrassment that she had seen on Jasper's face. And she was going to make this boy pay for pulling such an asinine stunt.

"What the hell?" The guy held one hand to his jaw, staring at Melody with wide eyes. 

"You think you're funny?" Melody shook her hand out as she’d seen people do in the movies, expecting it to relieve some of the pain. It didn’t. "Well news flash; you're just an asshole!"

Melody noted, with satisfaction, that she had managed to split his lip. A little bit of blood trickled from the small cut and dripped down his lips. But somehow, that wasn't enough for her. She was sick and tired of people thinking that everything down here was a game. They couldn't just get away with stuff like this. She wouldn't let them.

When she lunged again, he was expecting it. The boy blocked his face with his arms, making it impossible for Melody to make contact with his jaw again. Unhindered by this, she aimed everywhere else. His chest, his gut, his ribs; every part of his exposed body was met over and over again by her hard little fists. Melody wasn't very strong, but judging by  
his grunts she at least had good aim. It probably wouldn't be enough to do any real damage, but he would remember her whenever he felt his sore muscles the next morning. 

All she could think about was teaching the little punk a lesson. You did not mess with her friends and get away with it. You didn’t play on their fears and their weaknesses and then just laugh it off, as if it were all some big joke. Maybe she didn’t look like much and maybe the scales were tipped against her. But Melody was nothing if not determined. She was a scrapper, and that had never been more evident. 

"Melody, stop! You're going to get yourself into trouble." That was Jasper's voice, begging her to relent before she was punished.

As if she was afraid of what Bellamy Blake had in store for her.

And then there was Octavia, who was doing the opposite of what Jasper was doing. She was egging Melody on. "Hell yeah, Mels! Aim for the throat!"  
Melody couldn’t focus on responding to either one of them, but she did take Octavia's words into account. Sadly, the boy's jugular was just out of reach. Melody settled for hitting any and everything else that she could get her hands on as the boy retreated, trying to get away from her. Melody still didn't let up. It was as if something had taken root in the pit of her stomach, some deep dark entity that screamed for her to make him pay. 

She would have continued in her relentless attack, but Melody was lifted off the ground and pulled away from the boy before she even realized it was happening. She didn’t know who was pulling her away, but it was a good thing they’d intervened. Melody was doing just as much damage to herself as she was to him. And she didn’t know when, or even if, she would stop on her own. The thought should have scared her, especially given her history, but it barely even phased Melody in the heat of the moment. 

"Who the hell do you think you are?" She couldn’t touch him anymore, but she could scream at him as she struggled in the arms of her captor. "You filthy, despicable, thoughtless bully!"

The arms around her tightened, not exactly painfully but rather in a warning sort of way. The one holding onto her had stopped retreating after they’d put enough space in between Melody and her victim. It was then that Melody looked down, taking note of the thick, tanned arms that had locked themselves around her waist. His grip was tight and controlling and Melody immediately knew who had pulled her off of the boy. 

Bellamy Blake.

Her opponent was slowly getting back to his feet. His dark eyes snapped with barely contained rage as he spit a mouthful of blood onto the ground. "You crazy bitch! I'll wreck you."

This only infuriated Melody more. She struggled in Bellamy’s arms, desperate to go another round or two or seven with the boy standing across from her. He was so angry that he was practically shaking as he glared at her. Melody was not afraid; she returned his stare with one of her own, but she too was trembling with barely-contained fury. 

"You're awful brave now, aren't you?" Melody was disgusted by the show that he put on now. Now that she had beaten him bloody, now that she was being restrained. It was, no doubt, an act for the audience that was most likely already forming behind her.

"Melody, shut the hell up." Bellamy’s sharp hiss was accompanied by a light squeeze around the waist. 

Melody was still seething with rage, but she forced herself to relax slightly against Bellamy. She was painfully aware of his hot breath in her ear and the press of his muscular chest against her back. She would have sworn she could feel his heart beat, but she didn’t know if that was even possible. The proximity between the two of them was ridiculous, but perhaps that was a good thing. 

Only Bellamy could hold her back at a time like this.

Finn had pushed his way to the front of the group. He placed a gentle hand on Melody’s arm and gave her a look that could only be described as concerned. "Are you okay, Mel?" 

Was she okay? Was she okay? Nothing about this was okay. It wasn’t okay that this kid had preyed on Jasper. It wasn’t okay that she was turning into the kind of person that beat the shit out of someone to get her point across. It wasn’t okay that she didn’t even regret it for a moment. It wasn’t okay that she had been forced to stop until the kid was writhing on the ground in pain and begging her to have mercy. And it definitely was not okay that she was being both calmed and contained by Bellamy Blake. 

Melody nodded.

“Let her go.” Finn gave Bellamy a sharp look. 

"Piss off, Spacewalker." Bellamy snapped out. Melody could almost picture the angry look on his face, the way his jaw would clench and his brow would furrow. "The moment I let her go, she'll be out for blood."

Bellamy did have a point. Pretty much everyone she’d associated with was aware of the fact that Melody Pond was not a very forgiving person. She was trying to be, but she just wasn't. It wasn’t in her nature to forgive and forget. When someone wronged her, Melody took it very personally. And, as she had learned as of late, she was completely capable of defending herself and those she cared for. It didn’t help her whole temperament issue any that her limits were constantly being tested by guys like this who were, in her opinion, the literal scum of the Earth. 

“Are you alright, man?” Finn held out a hand towards the other guy, in the universal sign for ‘I come in peace’ or whatever. As if he deserved peace. 

"What does it look like?" Spat the male, turning his glare upon Finn. "That dumb bitch attacked me out of nowhere."

It was a lie. Well, at least a partial lie. Maybe she had attacked him out of nowhere, but she had been completely justified in doing so. It wasn’t as if he were just some innocent bystander that had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. He’d played a very active role in this whole thing. He’d even made the first move. Melody had just simply finished the fight. 

Her moral code was as follows: 

Defend yourself. Defend those you love. Don’t kill unless absolutely necessary. Make good choices. 

It didn’t really get much simpler than that. 

Melody was a good person, she really was. She was just a good person with a bad temper. Certain things set her off and once the fire was lit, it was insatiable. She couldn’t stop it,  
and she didn’t want to. She had a temperament that matched her flaming red hair perfectly. It hadn’t always been that way, it was a trait that she’d developed only over the last few years and especially over the last week or so. The more she learned about herself, the more she realized that she wasn’t who she’d always pretended to be. She wasn’t weak and docile and timid and fragile. She was lionhearted. She felt things, and she felt them passionately, and she felt them without regret or apology. 

She liked the person she was becoming, even if a part of her knew that she shouldn’t. 

“Is that true, Melody?” Bellamy sounded less than convinced by the other male’s explanation. Just as he had done when confronted by Murphy, he was giving Melody the benefit of the doubt. Again. 

That’s when an idea formed.

“Like hell it is!” Melody leveled her gaze. “You think you can just manhandle people and get away with it? Pretend to be a grounder just for shits and giggles, as if they aren’t an incredibly real threat to us? You're lucky it wasn't me you manhandled because in case you haven't noticed, _I'm not as nice as Octavia_!"

That last sentence made the gears in Bellamy's head come to life. It didn’t take him very long to realize just what Melody was implying. The moment he realized that this guy had been rough with his precious baby sister, Bellamy was the one that needed to be held back.

"You what?" He roared, lunging for the male.

Melody immediately realized she had made a mistake. She had mentioned that bit about Octavia in hopes that Bellamy would get angry, that he would release her and take matters into his own hands. What she hadn't anticipated was the fact that he was able to easily throw Finn to the side when the spacewalker attempted to grab for him. She hadn’t anticipated that he would be unstoppable. She hadn’t taken into consideration what Bellamy Blake might do when pushed just a bit too far. 

Bellamy was positively murderous. 

The sound his fist connecting sharply with the male's face caused Melody to cringe. She briefly thought, hey, why didn't mine sound like that?, but she pushed the thought away. Hers hadn’t sounded like that because she hadn’t known what she was doing. She hadn’t posed any real threat to the guy. She hadn’t had any intentions of sending him six feet under by the time their fight was over. 

Bellamy was straddling the boy, using both fists to rain blow after blow upon his face. The sounds were sickening. They were loud and sharp and wet and very, very crunchy. Melody almost felt bad for the guy. Maybe he’d just been trying to have a laugh, but it shouldn’t have been at Jasper’s expense. And now he realized that. 

The boy's low, pitiful groans let Melody know that he'd had enough although Bellamy had only hit him a couple of times. It was one thing to be in the midst of things, throwing punches…but to be on the outside looking in, it almost turned her stomach. There was a point when enough was enough, and she realized that now. This was her fault. She’d gotten the kid into this mess, and now it was up to her to get him out of it before Bellamy wound up doing something that he couldn’t take back. 

Before she could think better of it, Melody threw herself head-first into the mix. The moment her fingers reached out and wrapped themselves around his bicep, Bellamy lashed out at her. 

His fist made contact with Melody's cheek, causing the girl to fall backwards into the dirt. A sharp cry left her lips as pain erupted in the spot that Bellamy had struck. It was positively blinding, unlike anything she’d ever felt before. Melody cupped her cheek gently as her vision was dotted with black and white spots. The light touch caused the area to throb in protest and caused Melody to whimper softly. She lay on her back in the dirt, struggling to catch her breath and trying not to writhe as the pain all but consumed her.

Maybe she was more fragile than she’d originally thought. 

"Melody?” The urgent voice at her ear was the last one that Melody wanted to hear. “Are you with me, sweetheart?” 

Eyes closed, she uttered a soft groan and tried to turn away from Bellamy. The movement jostled her aching arm which only added to the pain. Melody couldn’t stop herself from crying out, the sound little more than a choked sob as she fought back tears. She could already feel one side of her face swelling up, the skin there both tight and tender. This was the first real fight she’d ever gotten into, and therefore it was the first time that anyone had ever lashed out at her in such a way. 

_Did he really just punch me?_

The answer was yes, yes he had.

Melody felt herself being lifted then, and she couldn't even bring herself to offer up any protest aside from a low moan. The person that held her now was not the one that had held her before. Melody didn’t know how she knew for certain, but she did. The touch was all wrong. These arms were smaller, gentler, and they wrapped themselves around her body as if they’d done so a hundred times before. 

It was Finn. 

He walked them back towards the dropship slowly, taking great care not to cause Melody any more pain than necessary. Everything about his stance screamed ‘don’t screw with me.’ A couple of people asked if they needed help, but Finn angrily shot down each offer as he made his way through the quickly parting crowd. He didn’t need help. Even if he did, he wouldn’t have trusted anyone else to get the job done. 

Melody’s eyes slowly blinked open. Her lids were heavy, as if she were in desperate need of sleep, but she didn’t allow them to fall shut once more. She was watching Jasper and Octavia, who were walking just a few paces behind them. They were her focus point for a few moments before one of them tripped and they both went spiraling out of view. Melody reached for them, but she couldn’t do much more. She couldn’t even turn her head to see where they’d landed, or whether or not they were okay. 

They made it into the dropship in record time. 

"What the hell happened?" Clarke's voice suddenly filled the air, much too loud for Melody's liking. She groaned in protest and attempted to cover her ears, but the pain became too much and so she simply gave up. 

"Bellamy punched her."

"What!?" That voiced belonged to Monty. He was quickly approaching as Finn set Melody down gently in a hammock that had been set up on the lower level. It rocked for a few  
moments and it was all Melody could focus on, even as Monty continued speaking. "Where the hell is he?"

Bellamy chose that moment to make his entrance. 

"Right here." And there he was right there, leaning over Melody, his face just a few inches from her own. He watched her with anxious eyes. "Damn it, I didn't mean to punch you, sweetheart. I thought you were the spacewalker."

For once, Melody didn't complain about the nickname he continued to use despite her protests. The only reason she let it slide was because there had been, for once, no malice in Bellamy's voice. He only sounded anxious and perhaps just a bit distraught? Melody found it hard to believe that Bellamy Blake would be distraught over her. It must be the guilt. 

"What. Happened?" Clarke's moved forward angrily and bent down beside Melody. Apparently Finn's answer had not been satisfactory, because she addressed Melody now. 

"I tried to-" Melody tried to explain, but the pain was too much. The spots were back, taking over her vision once more. Melody's eyes fluttered closed and she laid her head back  
on the hammock. She was trying pretty damn hard to stay quiet, but she couldn't help the occasional gasp that slipped off of her lips without permission.

Damn it! She hated that they had to see her like this. 

"She tried to break up a fight between Bellamy and some kid. When she got into the middle of things, he punched her." Finn's voice was laced with accusation. Melody didn’t have to open her eyes to know that he was glaring at the man who was still currently crouched by her bedside. 

"I thought she was you." Bellamy's voice was little more than a growl as he stood to his feet in order to face Finn. "How was I supposed to know that she was going to try and be the hero? It was her fight in the first place. I figured she would let me handle it."

"Well you figured wrong!" Finn bellowed, unable to stop himself. 

This protective side of him was usually reserved for Clarke, but somehow Melody had managed to worm her way into his heart without him having realized it. He felt fiercely protective as he looked down at the small, frail girl who suddenly seemed so weak and vulnerable. And in that moment he wanted to taste Bellamy Blake's blood.

No one messed with his girls.

With that thought in mind, Finn began to move towards Bellamy. He only made it a few steps before Monty intercepted him. 

"Both of you need to cool down." Monty advised, looking between the two of them seriously. Monty had on his I-mean-business voice. It was a tone that he seldom used, but when he did they all stopped to listen. "Fighting isn't going to change anything. And you'll only upset Melody even more."

That seemed to reach them. 

Finn stomped off towards the ladder to the upper level while Bellamy turned and walked right out of the dropship. It was only the three of them left then. Clarke was looking over  
Melody anxiously and Monty was standing nearby, ready to intervene if Finn and Bellamy came back in and did anything to disturb Melody. 

Clarke's fingers were gentle on Melody's face, but no matter how careful she tried to be, she still managed to make Melody's face throb with pain. The area was quickly turning a sickly combination of yellow and purple. Clarke gently probed Melody's bruising skin and was glad to find that her cheekbone hadn't been shattered in the brawl. It was just going to bruise up and hurt like a bitch for a couple of days. Melody was fragile. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she was delicate and petite. It wasn’t her fault, it was all in her body structure. A girl like her couldn’t take a punch like that and not be affected. Recovery would be rough. 

"Mel, I'm sorry, but there is nothing I can do for you." Clarke said softly, looking into Melody's eyes and speaking slowly. The poor girl looked like she was on the verge of passing out. Her pain tolerance wasn’t prepared for this.

"Fuck." The harsh expletive left Melody's mouth before she could even think to stop it. When she realized what she had said, Mel grimaced up at Monty and apologized. "Sorry 'bout your virgin ears, slick." They all laughed at this, but Melody's laughter died off in a series of soft whimpers.

It was obvious that Melody was about to succumb to the sleep that threatened to take over. Clarke didn't think she had a concussion or anything, seeing as how the blow wasn't to her head. She checked and double checked the other girl’s vitals to the best of her abilities and didn’t see any reason for worry. Melody was probably just drowsy from the amount of pain that she was in. Bellamy had struck her hard. Clarke felt bad for Melody, who was the least deserving out of all of them, but maybe this would teach her not to be so rash. 

"I'm tired, Clarke." Mel mumbled softly, blinking up at the blonde angel who loomed over her bedside. 

Her mind was going fuzzy and she could have sworn that there was a halo above that head of pretty, blonde curls. And Clarke seemed to be emitting a kind of glowing light. It was real pretty...dazzling, even. Melody swore this girl was an angel. She had to be, with that pretty face and that pretty halo and her pretty knack for helping people who needed it. 

"Your halo is lovely. Where did you get it?"

"Shhh, Melody.” Clarke bit her lip to hide her smile. "You can rest now. And when you wake up I'll tell you all about this halo of mine.”

Not that you'll remember, she added silently in her mind.

"Mmkay." Mumbled Melody, finally allowing the full extent of the drowsiness to consume her. Who was she to disobey an angel?

Melody curled up on her side, ignoring the throbbing of her bad arm. It only made the sleep come faster, anyways. The pain helped with the sleep, and the sleep helped with the  
pain. It was a win-win situation. 

She was just about unconscious when something stirred her from the impending wave of sleepiness.

A deep voice caused Melody's green eyes to flutter open once more as she looked across the dropship. She could have sworn she saw a certain dark-haired prince there, trying to make his way to her. Yes, he was equipped with a sword and a shield. His dark brown eyes bore into hers, reflecting what looked like sadness. But sadness for what? The fuzziness that was suddenly taking root in her mind? No, he couldn't know about that. It must have been sadness from something else. Or maybe it wasn't even sadness at all. Maybe it was  
something else and she had been mistaken. Was he coming to wake her from the eternal sleep that she could feel setting in? Maybe.

But hell, what did she know?

The angel was there, pushing Melody's prince out of the room. Melody wanted to tell her to stop, that he was here to save her, but the words wouldn't form. 

"You need to leave, Bellamy." The angel said angrily, blocking him from Mel's view.

_No! No, don’t make him leave._

It was the prince's voice that she heard then, quiet and gentle. "When she wakes up, tell her I'm sorry." 

_Sorry? Sorry for what?_

Melody was still trying to find the answer to that question when sleep took over, washing all memories of the angel and prince from her mind.


	9. Chapter 9

Melody awoke a few hours later and immediately wished that she hadn't.

The pain had lessened a bit, but not enough to relieve any discomfort. What had once been a painful throbbing was replaced with a dull, aching sensation that faintly reminded Melody of a fatigued muscle feeling. She’d never actually been in a fight before, and so all of this pain felt more like uncharted territory than anything. But beyond the pain that she felt, Melody also felt a strong sense of pride. It was as if she had made some monumental breakthrough and discovered a new side of herself that she hadn’t even known to exist. A totally _badass_ side of herself that had been hidden underneath all of those layers of fragility and indecision. For the first time Melody felt not like a reckless kid with a big heart and a flaring temper, but rather an empowered woman who was able to take matters into her own hands and decide her own fate. 

She’d been working up to this, bit by bit, ever since she’d stepped foot on Earth. Melody hadn’t been oblivious to the changes in herself, but they’d come on too suddenly for her to give them much thought. She’d always been driven by the need to do what was right, but since coming down to Earth that feeling was even stronger. And once the people she cared about were thrown into the mix, there was nothing that could stand in her way. Maybe she was reckless sometimes, but Melody was suddenly able to accept the fact that she  
was. It was _her_ ; all of it was _her_. The recklessness, the attitude, the drive to help others, the fiery temper, the big heart. All of it together was what made Melody herself. 

And she would not apologize for that.

She hadn’t come down to Earth knowing who she was or what her role in this world might be. She’d had to find herself. But now, now she knew. Or at least she was staring to know. She was _strong_. She was _passionate_. She was _capable_. And she wasn’t down here to be another pawn in Bellamy Blake’s game, or Clarke Griffin’s game, or anyone else’s. She was down here to play her own game, and it was the game of survival. 

And she wasn’t playing just for herself, but rather for all of the others who might be too weak or too scared or just downright incapable of defending themselves. 

“Mmm.” Melody stirred, letting out a sleepy groan. 

The finer details of this morning were slightly fuzzy. Inwardly, Melody felt pride and strength and great satisfaction. Outwardly, she felt sore and achy and completely miserable. It took her several minutes to remember _why_ she felt like this. 

She’d gotten into a fight. That guy had been picking on Jasper, tormenting him even, and Melody had stepped in. That explained the pain that dominated her left side. If she looked down, surely she would find her knuckles bloodied and bruised. They ached, but it was a good sort of ache. It was proof of what she’d done. It was like a badge that she would wear with honor. It was a reminder that despite what some people might think, Melody Pond was not a force to be reckoned with. 

But the pain in her face? 

There was no way that guy could have gotten a shot in, not when Melody had been throwing herself at him like a whirlwind of pent-up fury. She’d fought, she’d had the upper hand. After a while, there had been some intervention. Finn was there. He’d pulled her away from the boy before she could do any real damage….wait, no. That wasn’t Finn. Finn had been there, but it was _Bellamy_ who had pulled her away from the boy. Bellamy was the one interested in getting her out of the line of fire. Finn had been the one interested in making sure that everyone was alright. 

Yes, it was definitely Bellamy that had grabbed her. Melody remembered all too well the feeling of his muscles straining against his teeshirt as he’d fought to hold onto her. She hadn’t made it easy, what with all her struggling, but in the end Bellamy had won that battle. His angry words rang in her ears. 

_The moment I let her go, she'll be out for blood._

He was right. 

Melody remembered the anger and helplessness that she’d felt because she knew that the boy hadn’t paid nearly enough for what he had done to Jasper. For what he’d put him through. She’d wanted his blood, and so she'd done something entirely stupid in her rage. She informed Bellamy that the boy had been rough with Octavia. Bellamy had gone rabid, and Melody had tried to stop him, had tried to fix the trouble she’d caused…

And then what? 

She couldn’t remember anything beyond the pain. It was unlike anything she’d ever felt. Staggering enough to knock her off of her feet and intense enough to keep her on the ground. Finn was the one to carry her crumpled body back to the dropship, because Melody had been in no condition to walk. They'd gone into the dropship and she was put in  
the good doctor’s capable hands. Clarke demanded to know what had happened and…

"Holy shit." Breathed Melody, sitting straight up in the hammock.

_He punched her._

Just sitting up had Melody gritting her teeth -causing even more pain- and trying not to cry out. Her arm throbbed fiercely in protest, prompting Melody to cradle it against her chest. Once she was up, however, the pain in her arm began to ebb once more to a bearable level. 

It took her a few minutes to realize that she wasn't alone in the dropship. Mel's green eyes thoroughly scanned the lower level, falling upon Monty. He was busily working on connecting the wristband's communication system to the dropship. He was the only one there, though. The rest of her friends had gone off to only God knew where, leaving her to  
rest and Monty to work. But Melody didn’t want to rest.

With a groan and a lot of wobbling, Melody managed to climb -more accurately, slide- to her feet. Even the slight jostling movement hurt her arm, causing the pain to flare back up in a ferocious wave that left no part of her left side unscathed. Looking down, Melody saw that her knuckles had already turned a sickly shade of purple and yellow, no doubt matching the bruise across her cheekbone.

What she wouldn't give for some painkillers…

"Whoa, Mels." Monty was somehow already at her side. He gripped Melody's good arm, helping to steady her. “Easy.” 

"I'm fine, Monty." Insisted Melody, who was glad to find that speaking didn't hurt her face quite so much anymore. It still made it ache, but each time was easier. As if she were becoming numb to that specific pain. It was tolerable. 

"You're not fine, Melody." Monty frowned. "You got punched in the face and you almost broke your hand."

"Yeah, well, I'll live." Melody brushed off his touch and moved towards the dropship door.

"Clarke said you should be resting." Monty called after her, but he was smart enough not to try and stop her from leaving. He saw what she'd done to the last guy that pissed her  
off. "She's not going to be happy when she sees you're up. Neither is Finn…or Bellamy."

His words brought back a new memory. She recalled Finn and Bellamy's angry voices shouting at one another. They had been fighting because of her. Finn had been so angry. It had actually surprised Melody a bit when he had so casually slipped into the role of her protector. And then there was Bellamy, who had insisted over and over that it was an accident. He had sounded sincere enough.

_Damn it, I didn't mean to punch you, sweetheart. I thought you were spacewalker._

"Monty, I am fine. Really." Melody flashed a wide smile and twirled in a little circle to prove that she was okay. Thankfully the small motion did nothing to bump her arm, so she was able to pull off the almost convincing grin that she forced onto her face.

"Melody it's only been a couple of hours…You should rest." Pressed Monty, but his voice was slowly losing its force. 

"Come on, slick. We both know that I'm no good at following directions." Teased Melody softly as she turned back around to place a gentle hand on Monty's shoulder. "I can't just sit around all day, Monty. Nothing is broken and I feel..."

"Don't say _fine_." Monty warned.

"I do feel fine though." She insisted. "I know what I can and can't handle, Monty. But if it makes you feel better I'll go check with Clarke before I find that kid and convince him to  
go another round."

Her words succeeded in putting a smile on Monty's face. "That was a pretty kickass thing to do, Mel." He admitted, looking down at her with something akin to admiration in his eyes. "You're a tough one."

"Guns of steel, baby." Melody raised her good arm and flexed a pitiful bicep.

Monty laughed and shook his head before going back towards his control panel. Melody took that to mean that he wasn't going to fight her on this. It wouldn't have made much of a different if he had, anyways. Melody made up her own mind. And right now, she was determined to get out of the dropship and continue on with life as usual. 

Melody walked through the camp slowly, glad to see that everyone had gone back to doing their daily tasks. The wall was still being built rapidly as she had expected. Murphy was still barking orders and people were still cowering beneath him. Melody didn't have the energy to say or do anything about it, not in her current condition. As much as she hated the injustice, going round for round with Murphy would not end in her favor right now. 

The first person that Melody encountered was Finn. He had decided to help with gathering and boiling the water that they brought in from the stream. It wasn't surprising considering the fact that Melody knew he liked to venture outside of camp more often than not. In fact, he had been the one to discover the little waterfall where they got their water supply. And he was the one constantly having to lead people to it anyways.

"Hey, Finn." Melody greeted, waggling her fingers in a little wave as she approached him.

The boy's head snapped up at the sound of her voice and his gaze darkened. Melody immediately knew that he was going to protest about the fact that she was already up and out of bed. If this was what it felt like to have people caring for you, it was very restricting. But at the same time, the thought of them worrying for her warmed Melody's heart a bit. It  
was nice to know that they cared.

"Melody you're on bed rest." Finn scolded her as he dumped another bucket of boiled water into the basin. The supplies were some of the few they'd had on the dropship. Melody suspected that the ship had been used as a storage space or something before they'd fixed it up, because they'd found several plastic buckets and what looked like plastic wash-tubs hidden under some of the seats.

"Finn, I've already been through the whole spiel." Melody informed him, holding up one hand to stop him from protesting further. "I’m fine. I just need to see Clarke."

The look in Finn's eyes told Melody that he wanted to argue with her until she went back to bed. But they both knew that arguing would only make things worse. Besides, nothing he said would make her get back in that bed and stare at the ceiling all day. Maybe she was still a little pained - a lot pained- but she couldn’t just do nothing. 

"Fine." Finn swept his arm out towards a multi-colored tent that sat just a few feet away from where they stood. "They're in that tent." 

"They?" 

"Clarke, Jasper, Octavia…maybe Bellamy." Finn shrugged his shoulders. "Jasper and Octavia looked pretty freaked out when they got back to camp."

That piqued Melody's interest. She had always been a curious little thing. She hated being left out of the loop. And now, she wondered what Octavia and Jasper had seen that left such an impression.

"Alright. I guess I'll go get some clearance from Clarke before I do anything else." Melody said softly, taking a few steps away from Finn. 

"Call if you need anything." The offer was genuine and it brought a soft smile to Melody's face.

"Of course, _dad_." Mel said mockingly, earning herself a grin from Finn.

She had a way of making people forget their troubles. It was a gift, really. Melody may not have realized the effect she could have, but everyone else did.

Mel started off in the direction of the tent, a frown falling upon her face as soon as she had turned away from Finn's watchful gaze. His words echoed in her mind. _Jasper and Octavia looked pretty freaked out when they got back to camp._

It was like Melody to want to be in the middle of the action. Wasn’t that what had gotten her into this mess in the first place? Injured or not, she wasn't going to let anything stop her from being a part of whatever was going on in that tent. She had _just_ gotten used to being welcomed into the mix of things and she was finding that she liked being included. No bruised face or sore hand was going to keep her away.

Melody unzipped the tent flap and stepped in, quickly shutting the little door to ensure that she wasn’t followed in. The voices stopped as soon as she arrived, but that didn’t hinder Melody in the slightest. She turned to face the group, unsurprised to find four hesitant sets of eyes watching her carefully. 

Bellamy and Clarke stood close together, neither one of them looking happy. They’d been arguing again, about something that Melody could only begin to guess at. Jasper and  
Octavia lingered nearby. 

"What's going on?" Melody strode forward, quite literally forcing her way into the circle of trust without asking permission. 

"Mel, shouldn't you be-" Jasper began to bring up her current condition, but Melody refused to be dismissed so easily.

"I'm fine, Jasper." Melody’s voice was hard and controlled. She was sick of giving everyone the ‘I’m fine’ line over and over again. Especially when her bumps and bruises were  
nothing compared to whatever had put _that_ look on Clarke’s face. 

Both Clarke and Bellamy remained silent. It was obvious that neither one of them wanted to involve Melody in whatever they were fighting about, and she forced herself not to take it personally. _It's just because you're injured, Melody. They don't want to stress you out._

There was no denying the fact that they’d been locked in some sort of power struggle prior to Melody's arrival. _That_ was nothing new. The two of them hardly ever agreed on anything and they were both so stubborn that it resulted in constant conflict. That was one of the biggest reasons that Melody had no desire to step forward and take charge. She liked to help people, but she didn’t want to _lead_ them. It was too much pressure and there was too much confliction among the group.

"Clarke?" Melody set her sights on the golden-haired doctor, figuring it would be easier to get answers from Clarke than Bellamy. 

Clarke remained silent.

Surprisingly, it was Octavia who spoke up in Melody's favor. "Tell her." Octavia didn’t so much ask as she _demanded_ , her steely gaze flickering between the two unofficial leaders. "Melody is one of _us._ She has a right to know."

Melody didn't know when " _us_ " had extended to Bellamy Blake, but she didn't have time to question it. Octavia's words had a dark sort of undertone that confirmed Melody’s suspicions that something big had happened. Not that it surprised her, really. Their lives had been nothing but one big mess of disasters ever since they arrived on Earth. The sea serpent, Jasper's spearing, poisonous fog, _Murphy_ , Wells' death, Atom's death…Melody was convinced she could handle whatever Clarke threw at her.

"Wells was murdered." When Melody failed to get the meaning behind these words, Clarke sighed loudly and added, "By one of our own."

The effect that Clarke's words had on Melody was immediate. She blinked a few times as she tried to process exactly what that meant. One of our own. That meant that someone in the camp had killed Wells and pinned it on the grounders. Melody couldn't say she was overly surprised with this news, but it still made her heart ache for the poor boy. He'd been a target for most of the delinquents, but he had still done what he could to try and help out. He'd been doing it for Clarke, but it had effected them all. And then, to be killed  
by one of his own…

It was despicable.

"Murdered." Melody repeated softly, shaking her head slowly as if she couldn't quite believe it. She could, but it was hard to grasp. "How do you know?"

Clarke held up a knife that was very similar to Melody's. It was made from the same scraps of discarded dropship metal. "Jasper and Octavia found this outside of the wall. Along  
with some of Wells' fingers."

"His _fingers_?" Melody gaped. 

"Cut clean off. They were laying near the spot where Clarke found his body.” Interjected Octavia grimly. "The knife was beside them."

"What are we going to _do_?" Wondered Melody.

Her question seemed to help Bellamy find his voice. " _Nothing_." His tone was harsh and final, his eyes alight with that hostile gleam which Melody knew all too well. 

Melody frowned. "What do you mean _nothing_? Killers inside of the wall are more dangerous than killers outside of the wall, Bellamy.” 

"There's more than one murderer in this camp. This isn't news." He reminded them. "We need to keep it quiet."

 _Quiet?_ Melody couldn't believe what she was hearing. She would have thought that Bellamy of all people would be the first to spring into action. Hadn’t he given her a whole lecture about taking care of these people? About doing what needed to be done? And yet when it came down to it, he was content to let a murderer walk among them.

"We are pardoned." Melody crossed her arms -with a little difficulty and a lot of pain- over her chest and stood her ground. "The moment we got down here all of our crimes were erased."

"Oh they were, sweetheart?" Bellamy’s sinister glare chilled Melody to the bone. He took a slight pause, to emphasize his next words. "Were they _really_?"

Melody paused, the double meaning behind his words seeping into her mind. There was no question about what he was referring to. Bellamy knew that she was still guilty over Doctor Evans' death. He'd seen the effect the memory had on her, he’d seen her when she was at her most vulnerable. And he had promised to keep it a secret.

"Yes. Or so I was told." Melody leveled her gaze. It seemed to say, _you promised to keep your mouth shut._

Bellamy understood. 

“Then I guess it must be true.”

No one else noticed the silent exchange that had gone on between the two of them. 

Fueled by the truth behind Melody's words, Clarke tried to make her way past Bellamy. Of course he didn't even budge. Instead, he just stared down at Clarke with his arms crossed over his chest. Another power struggle. 

"Get out of my way, Bellamy." 

Melody and Clarke were alike in a lot of ways. They were both strong and stubborn and they refused to be intimidated by Bellamy Blake. When the two of them were together, they seemed to feed off of one another's angst. Clarke's words had thrown Melody into motion, and in return Melody's words had fired up Clarke. They were a good but dangerous team.

Bellamy could see defeat looming on the horizon. His last defense was to try and reason with the good doctor. "Clarke, be smart about this. Look at what we've achieved… the wall, the patrols. Like it or not, thinking the Grounders killed Wells is good for us." The only problem with his logic was that it was corrupt and entirely unethical. 

"Oh, good for you, you mean.” She snapped. “What… keep people afraid and they'll work for you? Is that it?"

They didn’t often see Clarke’s angrier side, but now she was in full swing. Like Melody, Clarke didn’t care for the way Bellamy was treating the rest of the campers. He scared them, threatened them, and punished them in order to get them to do manual labor. It wasn't right.

"Yeah. That's it. But it's good for all of us. Fear of the Grounders is building that wall." Bellamy didn't even try to deny it. He knew what he was doing, and he thought that it was the best approach. "And besides, what are you gonna do… just walk out there and ask the killer to step forward? You don't even know whose knife that is."

That's where he was wrong.

"Oh really?" Clarke held up the knife. "J.M. John Murphy." 

No one was surprised. They’d all seen Murphy in action. They knew what kind of person he was. Hadn’t Melody and Octavia stopped him from killing Jasper just last week? It was all too easy to accept that he could have killed Wells, too. Murphy had never hidden his loathing of the Chancellor’s son. They’d gotten into fights often, fights that typically ended with death threats. And it seemed that now, Murphy had made good on his promise.

“The people deserve to know the truth.” Clarke brushed past Bellamy, and this time he did nothing to stop her. What could he do? The proof was staring him in the face. There was  
no denying who that knife belonged to and the only possible conclusion to be drawn was that Murphy had been the one to kill Wells.

There had to be justice. 

The remaining four couldn’t get out of the tent fast enough. They were still scrambling out as Clarke flew into action. She wasted no time in accusing Murphy of being the murderer. Whatever had been between her and Wells on the Ark was apparently not entirely lost to Clarke, who looked equal parts pained and pissed. She shoved at Murphy’s chest, sending him stumbling backwards as she screamed obscenities after him. 

Bellamy moved forward, but this time it was Melody's turn to stop him.

After all the hell that Murphy had caused, and after all the pain that he had put so many of them through, he didn’t get to just walk free. Justice had to be served. Melody didn’t know how they would go about punishing him, but she knew that it had to be done. Like she’d told Monty, everyone needed to realize that this wasn’t the Ark. Life mattered down here. They couldn’t just throw it away on a whim and not look back. 

"No.” Mel placed one hand on his arm in an almost pleading yet somehow firm manner. Her gaze found his and she frowned. “She needs to do this, Bellamy.” 

The two of them watched as Clarke took charge.

"Recognize this?" Clarke held up the knife once more, the sunlight glinting off of the silver surface. When Murphy stretched his fingers towards the weapon, Clarke stepped  
backwards and out of his reach.

"That's my knife." Murphy stared at her blankly. His gaze flickered towards the knife and for a moment he looked as if he were debating taking it by force. "Where'd you find it?"

Clarke was too fired up to buy into Murphy’s innocent act. "Where you dropped it after you killed Wells."

"Where I _what_?" Murphy scowled at Clarke, arms crossed over his chest defensively. 

By now a crowd had begun to form. As always, the delinquents were overly eager for any form of conflict. The more blood spilled, the better. It was one of their only forms of entertainment. Murphy looked around for a moment as he noticed the people beginning to form a loose circle around him and Clarke.

"The grounders killed Wells. Not me."

The two of them argued back and forth for several minutes. Clarke continued to point out how much Murphy had hated Wells. Murphy had reminded her that a lot of people hated Wells, considering his father had put them all in prison. Clarke pointed out that they had gotten into several fights, but Murphy had pointed out that he hadn't killed Wells then, either.

"He tried to kill Jasper, too!" Octavia fanned the flames of the fire without hesitation.

Jasper’s eyes widened. "What?" 

Mel placed a hand on the boy’s arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. She hadn't even thought to tell Jasper about her fight with Murphy. All of it happened while he was still in recovery, and so there were some gaps to his knowledge. She hadn’t really seen the point in worrying Jasper over it, considering the fact that he had lived through it all. But now she wished she had.

"This is ridiculous." Murphy shook his head slightly. "I don't have to answer to you. I don't have to answer to anyone." He threw his hands in the air, frustrated and maybe a little scared. 

"Come again?" Bellamy narrowed his eyes. 

Murphy approached them then, causing Melody to take an instinctive step backwards. He didn’t even spare her a second glance, however, and had eyes only for Bellamy. "Bellamy, look, I'm telling you, man. I didn't do this."

Bellamy looked unconvinced. "They found his fingers on the ground with your knife." He informed Murphy quietly, the words for his ears only. It was obvious that Bellamy didn't want to be in this position, but there was nothing he could do to help Murphy. There was solid evidence against him. There had to be justice.

Clarke was still on a roll, fueled by anger at what had happened to her friend. Her voice rang out, loud and clear and strong, as she addressed the crowd. "Is this the kind of society that we want? You say there should be no rules. Does that mean that we can kill each other without… without punishment?"

"I say we float him!" A delinquent called out. Several others voiced their agreement. 

The words made Melody's blood run cold. Float him? They couldn't do that. This wasn't the Ark and they couldn't just "float' the people that they didn't want in their society. She agreed with Clarke on the fact that there should be some sort of punishment. Some sort of justice. But Melody did not want to see anyone else killed. Not even John Murphy.

Murphy was a dick, but he was one of them. And every one of their lives mattered.

It was terrifying how quickly the delinquents turned on Murphy, because none of them shared the same mindset as Melody. They’d never liked or even respected him. They’d simply been too afraid to stand up to him, for fear of what might happen. And now that fear was gone. And in their eyes, it was perfectly okay to kill Murphy as punishment for his crimes. 

Melody thought of that conversation she'd had with Monty. It felt like an eternity ago that the two of them had been sitting on the upper level, watching over Jasper after he’d first been brought back to camp. Discussing how little life meant to most of them.

_"Isn't it sad?" Melody had asked, turning her thoughtful eyes onto Monty._

_"Isn't what sad?"_

_"How little they care about human life." Melody explained with a sigh. "We know better than anyone what it's like to be the disposable ones. To have the value of our lives taken from us and completely disregarded. Each and every one of them has felt that way, and yet somehow they're not even phased by the thought of death. It's like the Ark has brainwashed us into thinking that death should be a common occurrence and we shouldn't put too much stock in it. It's sad."_

"Clarke!" Melody's voice was slightly panicked as she watched the crowd begin to get antsy. They were all murmuring their agreement with the delinquent who had suggested the harshest punishment imaginable.

They _all_ wanted Murphy dead.

"That's not what I'm saying." Clarke’s voice was quiet. She stared over at the boy who had caused the uproar with widened, almost frightened eyes. 

"Why not? It's justice." He shrugged. There were more words of agreement from the rest of the delinquents. The crowd was quickly slipping away from the world that they lived in and back into the world that they came from. 

"Revenge isn't justice!" Clarke was appalled. 

"It's justice. Float him!" The boy cried out. And then, he began to chant. _"Float him, float him, float him!"_

Soon the entire crowd was chanting. Float him, float him, float him! The only ones not chanting were Clarke, Bellamy, Melody, Octavia, Jasper, and Monty. Once more it was us against them. Only this time, they had the upper hand. 

Murphy tried to run away from the crowd, but was knocked down. The moment he was on the ground the group pounced on him as one, tearing into him without mercy. Dozens of delinquents were punching and kicking him left and right, squelching any effort he made to get to his feet. It was absolute chaos. Among the uproar, Melody could only make out one voice; Clarke's.

" _No! Get off him!_ ” Clarke was bordering on hysterical as she attempted to fight her way to Murphy's side. Her efforts were futile. 

Octavia tried to push her way forward, too, but Bellamy pulled her backwards. The girl’s gaze burned with a mixture of frustration and helplessness, but there was nothing she could do. Even if she’d made it to the front of the group, there was no way she could overpower all of the people who were screaming for blood. Murphy’s fate had been all but decided.

By trying to bring justice to Wells’ death, Clarke and the others would inadvertly cause another. 

Upon seeing both of the girls fail in their attempts to intervene, Melody stepped forward. If nothing else, she could try. She managed to weave her way through a few bodies on the outskirts of the crowd before getting pulled back and into the safety beyond. Mel’s head snapped to the side and she found Jasper staring down at her evenly. His grip on her was tight, tighter than she would have through him capable of, and Melody knew that there was no way she could talk her way out of this. 

"Bellamy, you have to do something!" There was no point in struggling. Instead, Melody simply turned her hopeful gaze towards their rebel king. She knew it was a long shot, but that didn’t stop her from trying. "They'll kill him!"

The crowd began to move forward unanimously. Melody shuffled slowly, watching in horror as a group of burly guys dragged Murphy forward. They moved as a unit towards the far end of camp, where a large and sturdy tree stood. Beneath it were the graves of the other campers, the few that had succumbed to the dangers of Earth and the journey it took to get there. A rope was quickly thrown over one of the thick branches, a neatly tied noose dangling from its end. Within moments the guys had the noose fitted around Murphy’s neck and they were lifting his thrashing body into the air. 

It was in that moment that Melody realized there was no helping Murphy.

Clarke wasn’t giving up. She’d managed to struggle her way through the bulk of the crowd and was now facing off with Bellamy. Her blue eyes were liquid fire as she beat her tightly balled fists against the male’s chest, shoving him backwards. "You can stop this! They'll listen to you, Bellamy!"

One of the delinquents pointed to Bellamy.

“You should do it, Bellamy!”

_Bel-la-my, Bel-la-my, Bel-la-my!_

They were chanting his name like a war cry. Murphy was going to die, and they all wanted Bellamy to be the one to end his life. The hard-eyed male stood still with his arms  
crossed tightly over his chest, watching the scene closely. And despite the fact that it was wrong and they all knew it, Bellamy appeared to be debating giving into the pleas of his followers. He was actually considering ending Murphy’s life. 

"I know you're not a killer!" Clarke’s voice was desperate, pleading. The hope in her eyes was quickly depleting as she realized that she was fighting a losing battle. 

Murphy was desperately shaking his head while he stared at Bellamy, silently begging him not to do it. He had been rendered silent by a piece of material that they had wrapped around his mouth, gagging him. But the look in his bulging eyes said it all; I don't deserve to die.

And he didn't. Two wrongs didn’t make a right. Two deaths didn’t equal justice. 

But that didn't stop Bellamy from making the wrong decision. He strode forward confidently, his narrowed and determined gaze saying everything that his mouth didn’t. 

The shriek that left Melody’s mouth was hysterical. She couldn't form coherent thoughts as she watched him move forward, almost in slow motion, each step bringing him closer and closer to the point of no return. All she could manage to get out was a string of broken phrases. " _Please-don’t-you can’t-no-not right- Bellamy, please-no-NO!_ ”

Melody was badly outnumbered. She was screaming for Bellamy to stop, but the rest of them were egging him on. Her voice was one in a hundred, but she knew that it wouldn’t be drowned out. Not to him. And still, Bellamy moved forward without looking back. He came to a stop in front of Murphy and paused only for a millisecond before lashing out and kicking away the pile of wood that had been supporting Murphy’s weight. 

The rope dropped. Murphy writhed in pain as the cord cut into the flesh of his neck and began to slowly strangle him. He squirmed, trying to get free, but it was no use. All around them people cheered and shouted and some even clapped, as if it were a great show and they wanted an encore. 

Melody could do nothing but watch, horrified, as the life began to seep out of John Murphy.

"No, Bellamy, no!" Clarke shouted in his face and pounded on Bellamy’s chest, tears running down her face, but it was no use. The damage was done. 

Bellamy grabbed Clarke by the arms and gave her a rough shake. His eyes burned with barely-constrained rage, his voice hard and sharp. "This is on you, princess. You should've kept your mouth shut!"

Melody couldn't peel her eyes away from Murphy long enough to get involved. She knew that this image, the way his body twitched and jerked and convulsed, the way his eyes bulged in their sockets and began to dim, the sound of his strangled gasps as he fought to keep himself alive; all of it would be seared into her mind permanently. The terrified look in his eyes as the life was slowly drained from his body was chilling. 

Some memories stay with you forever.

"What the hell are you doing!?” Finn burst through the crowd, shoving people out of the way as he cleared a path towards Murphy. He paused only once, briefly, to usher a girl away from the hanging, but to no avail.

It was Charlotte, the little girl that they’d been watching earlier in the morning. She was a small thing, no more than twelve or thirteen years old. She had a pudgy child’s face and big blue eyes that had been hardened beyond their years. A little girl like her didn’t belong in prison, she didn’t belong amongst dozens of real convicts, and she definitely didn’t belong in the midst of an unlawful hanging. There was horror in her widened gaze as she stood rooted to the spot, watching everything unfold around her.

The girl wasn’t listening to Finn. Spurred into action by the knowledge of what seeing something like this could do to a little girl, Melody took it upon herself to make sure Charlotte wasn't traumatized further. Melody finally managed to wrench her arm from Jasper’s grasp, moving forward too quickly for her plans to be foiled once again.

"Charlotte, you need to go! You need to get out of here!" Melody shouted loudly to be heard over the roar of the crowd, but the girl stared ahead blankly. She didn’t appear to be phased in the slightest, and so Melody persisted. “Get back to the dropship!"

Octavia was there then, trying to help. She wrapped her arms around Charlotte and attempted to pull the smaller girl away from the gut-wrenching scene. The latter had other plans, however, and she thrust herself forward, voice echoing loudly throughout the forest.

"Stop! Okay?” Charlotte screeched, her childlike voice ringing high above the rest. “Murphy didn't kill Wells!"

The noise seemed to stop all at once. Eyes turned towards the child standing in the midst of the crowd, her hands trembling by her sides. A wave of confused mumbling washed over the crowd, but then they all quickly fell silent once more. All attention had been focused on Charlotte, who stared evenly back at the group.

"I did it.”

 

|oOo|

 

"Bring out the girl, Bellamy!"

Murphy's voice was hoarse and it cracked when he raised it to a shout, but nothing could mask the fury that he felt. He’d been cut down and freed from the noose in the nick of time. Even a minute longer and he would have been gone. It had taken Murphy a few minutes to recover from the loss of oxygen, but the moment he’d composed himself, he’d been out for revenge. He paced outside of the tent relentlessly, determined to have justice. 

Melody found herself on the outside looking in, watching anxiously for any sign of movement from the tent where Bellamy had retreated along with Clarke and Finn and Charlotte.  
The minutes had slowly ticked by. The crowd had long since gathered in front of the tent, their thirst for blood not yet quenched. They no longer cried out for Murphy’s blood. It was as if they’d completely forgotten that just minutes before they’d been trying to murder him.

With each passing moment, Murphy grew more restless. Melody had a feeling that the only reason he didn’t charge in there and kill Charlotte was because in order to do so, he’d have to go through Bellamy. Whether he respected or feared Bellamy was yet to be determined, but soon it wouldn’t matter. If something didn’t happen soon, he was going to act.  
He paced back and forth impatiently, enjoying the audience. 

"Bring the girl out _now_!” 

Melody stood on the front line, directly behind Murphy. She was flanked on either side by Jasper and Octavia, neither of whom had been invited into the tent. Unlike the rest of the group, they didn’t want to see Charlotte hung for her crimes. Having been in similar positions, Melody and Octavia were able to look beyond the so-called "justice" that everyone kept talking about. All they saw was a scared little girl. A girl who didn't know if she was going to live or die. They saw _themselves._

Melody had been thirteen years old when she was imprisoned for murder. She'd been afraid of dying then. And when she’d been sent to Earth, that fear had only increased. Octavia had spent her whole life hiding under the floor, not knowing if someone might discover her little secret. She'd been afraid of dying then. And when Octavia had been arrested when she was fifteen years old simply for _being born_ , she'd been afraid of death then, too.

They both knew what it was like to be in Charlotte's position.

"You want to build a society, princess? Let's build a society.” Murphy was howling, but it was getting easier to drown him out. His voice became more like background noise than anything else, just something to fill the empty space. “Bring her out."

After a moments’ hesitation, Melody reached out and slipped her hand into Octavia's. She didn’t really know why. It just felt right. Startled, the raven-haired girl turned her head towards Melody and gaped at her. Their gazes clashed for a moment and the scared look in Melody's eyes was mirrored in Octavia's. They were both thinking the same thing. _This could have been me._ And in their fear, they stood united. 

Bellamy ducked out of the tent and Octavia's grip on Melody's hand tightened. She was afraid for her brother. And why shouldn’t she be? Murphy had an entire army behind him…Leader or not, Bellamy wouldn't stand a chance against all of them if they decided to turn. He could be hanged just as easily as Murphy had almost been. Melody gave Octavia's hand a gentler squeeze, trying to reassure her, and turned her gaze towards the two boys who were standing off. 

"Well, well, well. Look who decided to join us." Murphy moved towards Bellamy quickly, his strides long and smooth. There was none of the mocking playfulness that usually evened out his tone when he spoke to Bellamy. They both knew that when it came down to it, only one of them could win this. And Murphy was ready.

"Dial it down and back off." Bellamy’s voice was brimming with pure authority. Even standing against the lot of them, he still managed to pull of the cool, rebel king façade. 

"Or what?" Murphy openly challenged Bellamy, a twisted sort of glint in his eye that made Melody’s skin crawl. "What are you going to do, Bellamy? Hang me?"

"I was just giving the people what they wanted."

Those words echoed in Melody’s ears.

Once again, Bellamy was proving to her that he was incapable of making his own decisions. Like the rest of them, he was easily influenced. He didn’t seem to have a mind of his own. And if he did, then he was too much of a coward to go against the grain. Power was more important to him than doing the right thing.

"Yeah. Yeah, that's a good idea. Why don't we do that right now?" Murphy’s voice was soft. Deadly. He turned to face the crowd once more, egging them on. "So, who here wants to  
see the real murderer hung up? All in favor?" Asked Murphy, raising his hand.

Only a few hands went up. The hands of the boys who had so eagerly beat Murphy down to deliver what they referred to as justice. Melody doubted they even knew what the word meant. She was glad, however, to see that the majority of the people didn't move. In contrary to what she had believed, they weren't his soldiers. They were just onlookers; an audience. They had some semblance of morals. 

The fact that so few people wanted to see Charlotte hanged came as an unpleasant surprise to Murphy.

"I see. So, it's okay to string me up for _nothing_ , but when this little bitch confesses, you all let her walk?" His voice rose with each and every word, until he was shouting at them. 

"Cowards! All of you are cowards!"

"Murphy!" Bellamy’s commanding shout drowned out Murphy’s cries for justice. With a piercing gaze he moved forward ever so slowly, not stopping until he and Murphy were face-to-face. "It's over."

Murphy looked at Bellamy, his gaze calculating. He was weighing his options, knowing that he now stood alone. Would opposing Bellamy really be worth the risk? It could cost him everything. "Whatever you say, boss." Murphy raised his palms up innocently in defeat.

Bellamy turned his back on Murphy. He managed a few steps in the direction of the tent before Murphy lunged forward and swiped up a piece of firewood, which he brought down hard over the top of Bellamy’s head. There was a loud crack before the latter fell to the ground, eyes slipped shut, void of consciousness. 

Octavia let out a wordless shriek and launched herself forward. Whether she wanted to reach Murphy or Bellamy first was unclear, but there was no denying the fury that burned in her hazel gaze. "Son of a bitch!"

Murphy stepped forward, ready for the inevitable attack. Before Octavia could reach him and serve up some real justice, Jasper was there and holding her back. They struggled for a few seconds, and then Murphy lashed out, punching Jasper square in the throat. He fell backwards into the dirt, gasping for breath. Octavia, free from the confines of his arms, raced forward to check on Bellamy.

"Come on.” Murphy nodded towards his goons. “Let’s get the girl.” 

Melody bent by Jasper's side and looked him over quickly, assessing the damage. He'd gotten the wind knocked out of him and was probably in a helluva lot of pain, but he still managed to pull himself into an upright position. Although he was rubbing furiously at his throat and struggling to breath, Jasper waved her away, gasping. "Charlotte."

Reminded of the bigger picture, Melody scrambled back to her feet. By the time she recollected herself, Murphy had already stormed the tent. There was a few moments pause and then a bellow of rage before the group of boys surfaced once more. Relief surged through Melody when she realized that Charlotte wasn't in the tent. Somehow, she had managed to get away. No doubt with the help of Clarke and Finn.

"Charlotte! Charlotte, I know you can hear me!” Murphy was ravenous, and what he craved was the little girl’s head on a spike. “When I find you, you are gonna pay!" 

Murphy's threat sent a shiver down Melody's spine. If he found Charlotte, he wouldn’t hesitate before killing her. He’d always given off a dark and dangerous sort of vibe. It wasn’t just that he did bad things; he enjoyed doing them. There was something dark and twisty deep down inside of John Murphy, something that chilled Melody to the bone.

All she could do was pray that she got to Charlotte first.

When Melody turned back around, Monty was helping Jasper get to his feet. Although he was laughing it off, Jasper was visibly shaken. He had been through so much in the last few weeks. Everything with the grounders, his recovery, venturing back out into the real world, and now he’d been throat punched by Murphy. The poor kid could not catch a break.

"Can you take care of him, Monty?" There was a determinedness in Melody’s stance as she came to a stop in front of them, arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her gaze flickered towards the tree line, where she knew Charlotte had disappeared. 

"Melody, you can't leave." Monty frowned, not bothering to answer the question. "Murphy already has it out for you. If you try and help Charlotte he’ll _kill you_.” 

"I have to go. I can't let Charlotte fend for herself." Melody couldn’t help but to feel a bit guilty when she saw their worried, fearful expressions. They were afraid for her. They didn’t want her to go out there and risk crossing Murphy’s path. Melody didn’t want to, either; she had to. 

"She's not your problem, Mel." Jasper frowned. "Why would you risk your life for her?"

" _You_ weren't my problem either, Jasper!" Melody reminded him. "And I risked my life for you." The words had come out harsher than she had intended, but it was the truth. She didn’t do stupid, reckless things just for the hell of it. She did them because she had to. There was something inside of Melody that compelled her to help those that couldn’t help themselves. 

And hadn't he just told her to protect Charlotte, instead of helping him? 

Neither one of them could understand why she needed to do this and Melody couldn't bring herself to tell them. What was she supposed to say? Melody couldn't explain to them why she needed to save Charlotte without also telling them her deepest, darkest secret. And as much as she wanted to be completely honest with them, she just wasn't ready for that information to be revealed. 

"We're just worried, Melody." Monty's voice was soft now. He gave her a pleading expression that tugged at Melody’s heart strings. "We don't want anything to happen to you."

Mel sighed softly and gave a reluctant nod of her head. "I know that, Monty. I know you guys think you have to watch out for me, but I can handle myself."

It was ironic that Melody would say that considering how much she watched out for them, without them even asking her to. The irony was not lost on any of them, and soon the three friends were grinning at one another. The tense mood had been broken, as Melody tended to have that effect when she least meant to, and she took advantage of the temporary lull in their argument. 

"Don't worry. If I see Murphy I'll run, okay? I can outrun them if nothing else." Melody glanced hopefully between the two boys. She didn't need their permission, but she wanted it.  
She wanted them to let her go willingly so that they wouldn't be disappointed and upset when she left regardless of who tried to stop her. 

Monty and Jasper exchanged a look. It was a few long moments before Jasper finally sighed in defeat. He nodded at her reluctantly, looking less than pleased about it. "Just be careful, Melody. I don't like the idea of you out there all by yourself." He gave Mel an affectionate once-over, which sent warmth tingling through her.

"She won't be alone."

All three of their heads whipped towards the side in a cartoon-ish fashion. Striding towards them, a determined glint in his eye, was one Bellamy Blake. His dark hair was matted with a combination of blood and dirt, but otherwise he looked mostly unaffected by Murphy's assault. Octavia hovered by his side, looking just as worried as Monty and Jasper had.

She began to protest, but ultimately Melody knew that it was pointless to try and fight with Bellamy. He was almost as stubborn as she was and there was no way he would relent easily. Instead of wasting both their breath and their time, Melody decided that it would be best to just accept the fact that he wanted to tag along. 

_This doesn't mean you forgive him._

"You're coming with me?" Melody raised her eyebrows, half hoping that the answer to her question would be a firm no. 

"It's not safe out there by yourself." Bellamy cast a glance towards the forest's edge and gave a simple shrug. “Power in numbers.” 

"It's settled then." Melody gave the two boys what she hoped was a reassuring smile. It was stiff and forced, but it worked. "We'd better head out before it gets dark."

"Be safe." Octavia’s voice was soft as she looked between the two of them. "Both of you. I expect you'll be returning to me in one piece."

"That's the plan, O." Bellamy gave his sister an affectionate smile and then turned his attention back towards Melody. He looked about as excited as she was. "You ready?"

"As ready as ever." Or, at least, as ready as she ever would be. Melody gave Jasper and Monty a small smile and waggled her fingers in a half-hearted wave. "I'll see you soon."

And then, they were leaving.

It was already almost nightfall by the time they started out. Melody knew that it would be dangerous out in the forest, with only the moonlight and their not-so-great sense of direction to guide them. She also knew there was a greater chance that all of the things wanting to kill them were asleep. So, the chance of their survival was probably right around even with their chance of death. That was comforting.

Melody and Bellamy didn't talk very much for the first few hours. There was nothing for the two of them to say. They were not friends; just two people united for the same cause. The silence was not unbearable by any means. Melody had spent so long by herself that silence was actually more comforting than anything he could say to her. And if they weren't talking there was no chance they could be fighting. God knew that when one of them opened their mouth the other _always_ had something to say.

"I know why you care so much." Stated Bellamy boldly, as if sensing Melody’s thoughts.

Melody's eyebrows flew up in surprise as she turned her head to look at him. "Oh you do?" She tried her best to sound indifferent, but it wasn’t really working for her. It was hard to control herself enough to sound casual when all she really wanted to do was grab him and shake him and demand that he get right to the point and tell her what he knew. But hadn’t she already learned what he knew? He knew everything.

It was no secret that Melody didn't like people trying to break down her walls. What she _did_ like was keeping everyone at arm's length, in their neat little boxes. Friends. Enemies. Others. It was so much easier that way, when everyone and everything had a label. 

And while she cared greatly for all of her friends, Melody didn't allow them to really know her. They knew only what she wanted them to. What little personal facts she shared, she shared on her own terms. The thoughts that she voiced aloud were chosen particularly and more often than not, things went left unsaid. The sides of Melody that they saw were driven by honor and ambition and ethics and love. They didn’t see the demons hiding just beneath the surface.

On a certain level she was completely sealed off; a closed book. When someone got too close, Melody pushed them away. She didn't want to be analyzed or understood, but at the same time she wanted nothing more than to be accepted fully by those that she cared for. Melody's mind was a complex and scary place. How could anyone understand her when she didn't even understand herself?

And more importantly, how did Bellamy Blake seem to read her so easily?

"You care because you’re not like the rest of them. You realize that justice and an eye for an eye don’t always go hand in hand." He looked fixedly at Melody with those serious, dark brown eyes. They seemed to look right through her. "Charlotte’s just a frightened little girl that did what she thought she had to. And you can relate to that."

The words caused Melody’s heart to skip a beat. She broke out into a cold sweat. How had he summed it up so simply, and yet so perfectly? It was as if he had taken the thoughts directly from her mind and somehow transformed them beautifully to describe exactly what she was feeling deep down in the pit of her stomach. 

"I don’t mean to say you don’t want justice, because you do." Continued Bellamy, oblivious to the internal turmoil that was rampant in Melody's mind. "But it isn't the same kind of justice Murphy is calling for. You want Charlotte to get a second chance. You want her to be given the same opportunity that the council gave to you."

The words shook Melody to her core. The fact that Bellamy Blake was able to dissect her mind so easily was absolutely terrifying. It made Melody feel so…exposed. All of her innermost thoughts were out in the open, suspended in mid-air between them. Rather than giving Bellamy the satisfaction of seeing just how much he had affected her, Melody decided that she would neither deny nor confirm his statements.

Instead, she settled on changing the subject; it was one of her many defenses.

"And I know why _you_ care so much." Insisted Melody softly. She had to clear her somewhat shaky voice before continuing. "You look at Charlotte and you see Octavia."

Bellamy visibly tensed. It wasn't all that noticeable, but Melody saw the subtle way he clenched his jaw. The muscle in his jaw twitched irritably. His posture was suddenly ridged, his back as straight as an arrow and his biceps practically bulging with restrained frustration as he clenched his hands at his sides. There was a slight furrow of his brows before  
realized what he was doing and collected himself. His reaction let Melody know that her hesitant declaration had been spot-on.

"Octavia spent her entire life hiding. She was young and defenseless and she didn't deserve to spend every day wondering if she would live to see the next morning. She was an  
unregistered child. They could have floated her in the blink of an eye." Melody’s green gaze was cast downwards, her voice soft. She felt like she should be whispering. These  
intimate words had no place being spoken aloud, for all to hear. 

And yet, they had to be said.

"But they didn't float her, Bellamy,” Continued Melody in the same hushed voice. “Because even the council knew that murdering children was inhumane."

"They floated my mother.” His voice was sharper now, but still low. The words came out as little more than a hiss. "They floated my mother and they locked up Octavia. They left her there to rot in a cell for no reason at all, other than she was born without papers."

"And they floated my father." Melody frowned. "I didn't say the council was just, but they gave her an opportunity that they didn’t have to. That gave me an opportunity that they didn’t have to. We both know that Charlotte deserves that same chance.” 

Bellamy was scowling; he didn’t like having his thoughts picked apart. And yet he didn’t contradict Melody. It was a sensitive subject given their complicated pasts on the Ark, but they both had insight that the rest did not. And they both understood that this was their chance to make Earth _better_. To instill a new policy; a policy of justice that was flexible enough to be bent and manipulated, but not broken.

Death could no longer be the go-to punishment. 

They were quiet for a few minutes then, and there seemed to be a new sort of unspoken understanding between the two of them. Their differences in the past no longer mattered.  
Every insignificant fight they'd gotten into and every exchange of hateful words fueled by their anger had all been set aside. Right now, they were allies. United in something that went deeper than just their common knowledge of right and wrong. 

This time, it was Melody who broke the silence between them. It wasn't something she was used to doing; small talk had never been her forte. But she felt that it was her place to say something now. It only felt right to let Bellamy know that she hadn't just brushed off his earlier words. She'd heard them loud and clear.

"I'm sorry that they floated your mother." There was no mistaking the sincerity behind the words. Many of the kids on the Ark grew up with only one parent. Adults usually got the death penalty without a second thought. Melody was no stranger to loss, although her circumstances were slightly different. "It must have been hard, being on your own.” 

"I managed.” Bellamy gave a lazy, unconcerned shrug. "She wasn’t much of a parent, anyways. I raised myself and Octavia. My sister, my responsibility."

This revelation surprised Melody, whose own mother had always been present in her life. Perhaps a little distant at times, and a little weak at others, but she’d always shown Melody love in her own sort of way. Grace Pond had gone through hell and back more times than anyone could count, and she did it to provide her daughter with everything she could ever need or want. Sure, she hadn't exactly been the best role model at times, but she did her best.

_Women are meant to be delicate, Melody. We are built for domestic duties, not battle._

As a mother, Grace Pond had always tried to instill her own sense of identity in her daughter. She’d wanted Melody to be just as delicate and fragile as she was. Her way was what she believed to be the best way, and it was these lessons that were instilled early on which led Melody to struggle with so much internal conflict over the years. But despite her medieval way of thinking and her insistence that women needed to be protected, Grace Pond had also been so _strong_. She taught Melody right from wrong, good from bad, and everything in between. She had instilled upon her daughter a sense of morality and values. She raised Melody be an upstanding citizen of the Ark…right up until she was  
imprisoned.

"Oh…" The desire to apologize was strong, but Melody refrained. She knew that Bellamy wouldn’t appreciate her pity. 

"I'm sorry about your dad." Bellamy wasn't one to be all sentimental and genuine, but his words rang with compassion and sincerity. 

In her surprise, Melody blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Why? You didn't even know him."

His eyebrows knitted, a frown appearing on his face. "No, I didn't know him. But you didn't know my mother, either." Once again, Bellamy gave a small shrug that suggested he didn’t care about what he was saying although it was very obvious that he did. "Any life lost is a misfortune. Even if it isn't my misfortune, it's somebody's."

The words all but took Melody's breath away. This was a side of Bellamy that she had never seen before. A vulnerable, genuine, sincere side of him that you wouldn’t believe was buried beneath his tough exterior. She felt almost special, being privileged enough to see the inner workings of Bellamy Blake. And Melody knew that this was the first step in making peace. It might take a long time for the two of them to see eye to eye, if they ever saw eye to eye, but they were making some sort of progress and it was more than 

Melody would have ever expected.

"Thanks. It wasn't that bad, though. I didn't know him well or anything." Melody said softly, shrugging her shoulders as she took a page out of the Bellamy Blake handbook and all but brushed his condolences off. "My mom pretty much raised me from the time I was four or five." She had no memories of the time before that; it was as if it had never even  
happened. 

"She must have been a good mom." Bellamy caught Melody’s startled gaze and gave a slow roll of his shoulders. Another shrug, this one almost sheepish. "I mean, you turned out alright. You're tough and opinionated. I can only imagine what your mother is like."

Melody’s green eyes grew wide as saucers. A startled laugh burst from her lips before she could stop it, prompting her to slap a hand over her mouth to stifle the sound. The thought of her mother being even in the same category of someone who was tough and opinionated was comical. It gave Melody a case of the giggles, the soft sounds muffled by the hand over her mouth. It was impossible to fathom a world where her mother was anything other than meek and submissive and Melody’s total opposite.

"Oh no. No, no, no.” Melody met Bellamy's amused gaze and she couldn’t stop herself from laughing once again. "My mother is my exact opposite. She's quiet and timid and  
jumps every time the pipes creak."

He gave a puzzled little smile, still hesitant about this blossoming acquaintanceship and sought elaboration. "Then how did you manage to end up like you are? So…independent." It was the most accurate and least offensive word in his vocabulary. God knew there were a lot of other ways he could have phrased it.

"Oh, that's Jason's doing. He-” The conversation came to an abrupt stop then, with Melody falling silent and casting her gaze downwards once more. 

An almost nostalgic sense of pain flooded her. When it came to Doctor Jason Evans, Melody's feelings were more complex than even she could understand. The memories she possessed seemed to have come from two different times; it almost seemed as if she were two different people when it came to the matter. The nostalgia came from a period of time that Melody liked to refer to as _before._ Before the murder, before prison, before the man she had once adored turned into a monster before her very eyes.

Jason was always a permanent fixture in Melody’s life. He’d been with her mother for as long as Melody could remember. Considering her own father had been floated before she’d gotten the chance to know him, Jason had slipped into the role easily. And like any father, he’d loved her. Melody could remember a time when he had greeted her hugs and kisses and sent her to bed with wild stories of knights and princesses and happily ever afters. Times where he had lavished her with gifts of jewelry and sweets and all of the well-worn novels and poems that she could ever hope to read; all of which she’d had an incredible weakness for. 

A time where he had held her hand while she cried and reminded her that even little girls could be brave if they wanted to. A time where he had picked her up and dusted her off after every little scrape and bruise. A time where he had taught her to toughen up and stand up for what she believed in, even if she stood alone. It was Jason who had instilled a sense of courage and strength in Melody, not her mother. 

But now, they were living in _after._

The time period that she knew to be after had started when Melody was about twelve years old. That was when she began to realize what was hidden beneath the surface of the man she had once idolized. She started noticing the way her mother seemed to cower down in his presence, submitting herself to him. She saw the difference in the way he talked and acted towards the both of them. She counted the number of bruises that marred her mother's once flawless, ivory skin, and found that each day that number grew. And that was when Melody knew that there was more to Jason Evans than what met the eye. That was when after had truly begun.

The rest of the story wasn't as complicated. Bellamy already knew most of what had happened. She had killed Jason Evans in what appeared to be cold blood…No one knew otherwise. Melody didn't mention the fact that the doctor had forced himself on her. She didn't mention the smug smirk on his face after he had finished with her and went on about his business as if he hadn't just ruined her forever. She hadn't even dared to allow herself to think about his last words before now.

_See you for dinner._

But he hadn't made it to dinner. Because not even a few hours later -when the shame and hatred had taken over Melody's mind and left her completely broken- she had returned to that hospital room. And she had returned wielding a scalpel. She had ended that doctor's life and had felt only relief. Relief for herself and for her mother. It wasn't until later that the guilt hit. But by then, it didn't matter. They were finally free of him.

Melody had slayed the monster.

No one understood why Melody came off as tough and intimidating. Everyone just assumed that she was a total bitch because she liked it that way. They didn't understand that she had to be strong. They didn't know what had happened the last time she had allowed herself be weak. No one could possibly begin to understand what prompted Melody to become the person she was. A long time ago, she had vowed to never be weak again if she could help it. And after coming down to Earth, she realized that she didn't just have to put on a brave smile and take whatever abuse came her way, like her mother had done for so many years. After all… little girls can be brave if they want to.

Melody had certainly proved that, and continued to prove it with every day she spent on Earth.

"Do you hear that?"

Bellamy's voice snapped Melody out of her thoughts. Or rather, memories. Cocking her head to one side, Melody listened as intently as she possibly could, but it was hard to hear anything over the erratic beating of her heart. She forced her breathing to become shallow, tried to steady the furious pace of her pulse. And that was when she heard it…the sound of light footsteps against the forest floor. The labored breathing of someone who had been running for far too long.

They looked at each other and said in unison, "Charlotte."

It wasn't long then before they saw her burst through the trees. Melody nudged Bellamy forward, knowing that he would have more luck reaching out to the little girl. After all, the two of them had bonded over something that Melody just didn't understand. Mostly because Bellamy hadn't said anything about it and she hadn’t thought to ask. 

Bellamy lunged forward and wrapped one firm arm around the girl's waist, dragging her back towards the shadows where Melody waited. With his free hand, Bellamy muffled the startled cry that left the girl's lips. Charlotte looked at him with wide and scared eyes as she struggled against his grip. Bellamy was quick to soothe her with a gentle, "Shhh."

Somewhere in the distance, Murphy was on the hunt. It was only a matter of minutes before his voice rang out and resonated in the empty forest. "Charlotte! You can't hide forever.” He called out in a sing-song voice that was somehow still frightening. “Don’t worry, we won’t hurt you!” 

Bellamy grabbed Charlotte by one arm and then they were running through the forest, away from the voices. It wasn't as easy for Melody as it would have been under different circumstances. Her arm was still injured, her knuckles bruised and her muscles fatigued. The pain along her cheekbone had dulled, but she still felt drained from the activities that had taken place earlier in the morning. The exhaustion became more apparent the harder she pushed herself, but somehow she forced herself to power through it all. Being smaller and lighter than most made her quick, and even injured she still managed to keep up with Bellamy and Charlotte.

What Melody didn't understand was why the girl was fighting Bellamy every step of the way. Charlotte dragged her feet and struggled as she tried to wriggle her way out of his grip, but to no avail. As if that would ever happen. Melody knew from experience that Bellamy's grip was like an iron vise. How else would he have been able to contain her on so many occasions?

"Let me go!" Shrieked Charlotte as she tried to pull her arm away from Bellamy.

"I'm trying to help you!" Bellamy hissed, looking at the girl in confusion. He turned his gaze towards Melody, who simply shrugged. She didn’t understand it either.

"I'm not your sister! Just stop helping me!" Charlotte snapped out. It was a low blow, but it served its purpose. It distracted him long enough for Charlotte to make her escape. "I'm over here!" With one quick movement she’d shaken Bellamy’s grip on her arm and was tearing off in the direction of the voices, shouting for Murphy. “Murphy!”

"Are you trying to get us all killed?" Bellamy pounced, grabbing the girl by her small shoulders and giving her a rough shake. His gaze was narrowed angrily, confusion written across his face. Didn't she realize that they were trying to help her?

"Just go, okay?" Charlotte looked urgently between the two of them. "I'm the one they want."

"Charlotte, listen to me!" Bellamy changed tactics, dropping his voice an octave so that it came out soft and soothing. He ran his fingers through her blonde hair, a simple but affectionate action that had tears swimming in the girl’s eyes. "We won't leave you."

"Please, Bellamy…" Charlotte’s eyes swam with unshed tears. She took a deep breath and then turned away from him, her voice breaking as she began to scream. "Murphy! Murphy, come quick, I'm over here!"

"Bellamy!" Melody’s eyes grew wide when she caught sight of a bright orange flame glowing in the darkness, far too close for comfort. "They're close."

Bellamy slung Charlotte over his shoulder without missing a beat, and they began to run. The girl shrieked the whole time, not making it easy to disappear without a trace. That didn't stop them from trying to put as much distance between themselves and Murphy as possible. If there was even the slightest possibility that they could help her, Bellamy was bound and determined that they take it. And Melody followed without protest. 

"Come on out, Charlotte! Come on out." Murphy's voice was loud. They were gaining. There wasn’t a whole lot of time left before they would find them, and Charlotte wasn’t helping to make things easier. 

"Put me down!" Her shrieking grew louder and more desperate. She wanted him to find her, for whatever reason. It didn’t make any sense, but it didn’t matter. They had to do something to get her quiet. And soon.

"Charlotte, listen to me." Melody ran behind Bellamy, keeping pace easily although her chest heaved from the strain and her voice came out sounding winded. The two girls were face to face, with Charlotte bouncing on Bellamy’s shoulder and Melody just barely being tall enough to look the smaller girl in the eye. "Me, Charlotte. Look at me. Not Bellamy.  
Bellamy doesn't understand."

"And you do?" Charlotte scowled, unconvinced. There was a desperate edge to her voice that rose goosebumps all along Melody’s flesh. "I'm a killer, Melody! A killer. I deserve to die."

The words hit home and brought out the newfound fierceness in Melody, who knew all too well what was running through the little girl’s mind. "No. Don't you ever say that! You hear me?" Something in her voice must have shown how serious she was, because Charlotte grew quiet. " _Everyone_ deserves a fair chance. You're just a kid, you haven't even begun to live. You do not deserve to die any more than I do."

The girl remained unconvinced. She was sniffling now, but she was no longer shouting, which seemed like a positive thing. At the very least it made it easier to think. Melody wished their troubles would have ended with convincing Charlotte that she deserved to live, but Murphy and his gang were approaching quickly. Soon they would be caught and overpowered, and then who knew what would happen? Murphy was unstable. He wanted vengeance. And Charlotte wasn’t the only one of them who had wronged him. 

Mel continued to run as fast as her long legs could carry her, up until Bellamy came to a stop. She stumbled forward a few steps, caught off guard, only to slam into his outstretched arm. Melody was confused as to why they were stopping when Murphy was trailing them so closely. She opened her mouth to protest, but then she realized what had happened. They’d run until they couldn’t run anymore; they were standing on the edge of a cliff. 

"Damn it." A defeated look ghosted across Bellamy’s face. “Dead end.” 

Melody didn't have time to console Bellamy, nor would she have known what to say if there was time. Before they had a chance to re-route themselves, Murphy and his group were breaking through the small clearing of trees. Now face-to-face with the gang of murderous boys, Melody could feel the fear creeping along her spine. It didn't help that if she made one wrong move she would be falling hundreds of feet to her death. 

"Bellamy! You can’t fight all three of us.” Murphy was smirking as he allowed his gaze to flicker between the two of them. Clearly, he didn’t count Melody as competition. As if she would go down without a fight. “Give her up.” 

Bellamy's reply was so him that it almost succeeded in making Melody smile. "Maybe not, but I guarantee I'll take a few of you with me." Confidence oozed from his every pore. He was already sizing up the group, no doubt forming a plan of attack in his mind. It was enough to make anyone hopeful. 

" _We'll_ take a few of you down." Amended Melody. She raised her chin slightly and squared her shoulders, staring Murphy dead in the face. 

It was decided. Bellamy moved forward, putting himself between Charlotte and Murphy, his stance protective of the little girl. Melody didn’t even have to think about repositioning herself before she was doing it, floating to his side while gripping her knife tightly in one hand. They were greatly outnumbered, but that didn't matter. Melody and Bellamy had one thing in common, if nothing else; their spirit. 

They refused to be broken.

"Bellamy, stop!" They were preparing to face off when Clarke broke through the same group of trees that Murphy and his goons had just come through. Finn was hot on her heels, like always. They had really gotten themselves into trouble this time, and the moment Clarke realized just how bad it was, you could see the despair written on her face

"This has gone too far." Clarke looked between Bellamy and Murphy, who were both out in front, just a few feet separating them and their puffed out chests. "Just calm down and we'll talk about this." She urged, attention focused on Murphy. He was more dangerous than Bellamy any day of the week. Bellamy could be reasoned with, he could be rational,  
whereas Murphy was a loose cannon and no one knew what might set him off. 

Murphy's sinister glare cut across each of them in turn, leaving no one unscathed. First Charlotte, then Bellamy, and finally it landed on Melody, where it lingered. Their gazes clashed and Melody could see her hatred reflected in Murphy’s eyes. Any hopes she had of this turning out peaceful disappeared the moment she saw the truth hiding behind his eyes; he wanted them all dead. 

Murphy grabbed for Clarke, yanking her roughly against his chest as he brought a knife to her throat. His glare finally fell upon the blonde, and he pressed the knife closer to her flesh. "I am _sick_ of listening to you talk."

"Let her go." Finn stepped forward. There was nothing he could do. He wasn’t even armed, and even if he was, by the time he reached Clarke it would have been too late. 

"Back off!" Murphy snarled, his grip on Clarke tightening visibly. "I will slit her throat."

None of them wanted to take the chance of calling his bluff.

"No please!" Charlotte sprung forward a step, her gaze flickering between Murphy's sharp knife and Clarke's exposed throat. Her blue eyes grew wide, glistening once more with unshed tears that she didn’t let fall. "Don't hurt her."

Bellamy's hand was the only thing restraining Charlotte. Just a simple hand on her arm, keeping her anchored and from throwing herself into Murphy’s waiting arms. The little girl was as unpredictable as they came. Melody didn’t have a doubt in her mind that Charlotte would give herself up and not blink twice. For being a murderer, she was awfully innocent. She was trying to protect them all, but she was putting herself in harm's way in order to do so.

"Don't hurt her?” Murphy pretended to ponder the request. "Okay, I’ll make you a deal. You come with me right now and I’ll let her go."

Melody didn't believe a word that came out of his slimy little mouth, and she had half a mind to tell him so. Murphy would say anything in that moment to get his hands on Charlotte. He wasn’t going to stop until she was dead, no matter what he might say. No one else with half a brain put any stock in his promise. Charlotte, however, seemed to weigh the possibilities.

"Don't do it, Charlotte!" Clarke shook her head rapidly, eyes wide with fear. 

The girl began to move forward. Bellamy barely managed to grab her in the nick of time, his arms wrapping around the girl’s arm and tugging her backwards. She struggled against his grip and the two of them battled it out. Bellamy tried to convince her not to do anything stupid, but Charlotte resisted. They were just a little too close to the edge for Melody's liking. She watched them for a few moments with anxious eyes before backtracking and putting herself at the cliff’s edge, sandwiching Charlotte between the two of  
them and eliminating her chances of escape. 

"I have to!" The girl continued to fight Bellamy, nearly in hysterics. 

Melody’s eyes met Bellamy’s over the top of Charlotte's head. They exchanged a brief look, and then Bellamy pushed the younger girl backwards and towards the safety of Melody’s arms. Reaching out, Melody wrapped herself around the smaller girl and locked interlocked her arms, keeping Charlotte anchored at her side. She watched with fear in her heart as Bellamy moved forward in an attempt to reason with Murphy.

"Murphy, this is not happening." Bellamy used the authoritative voice that was reserved for when he was talking to one of his people. Bellamy was still the leader and Murphy might be a bastard, he was still one of them and he still had to obey or face the consequences. Melody had a feeling that if blood was spilled by Murphy's hand, Bellamy would not be very forgiving. 

"I can't let any of you get hurt anymore.” Charlotte said softly. “Not because of me. Not after what I did.” 

She turned towards Melody then, eyes slipping shut as she leaned into the touch. It looked like she was going to bury her head in Melody's side, she was finally going to accept the comfort that Melody had been trying to give her all along. Things were going to be okay. In response, Mel slackened her grip some, giving Charlotte room to move closer.  
Charlotte took full advantage of that little lapse in judgement. Before Melody could even blink, the girl had ducked beneath her arm and was throwing herself off of the edge of the cliff.

"No!" Bellamy threw himself towards the edge.

Melody was already there, on her knees, watching as the small body made an equally small splash in the water below. There was no help for Charlotte; she would die on impact.  
The drop would be too much on her small body. In the end, Murphy had gotten what he wanted. They hadn’t been able to save her. 

Clarke's devastated voice reached Melody's ears and it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. She couldn’t hold herself together anymore. She drew in a ragged breath and began to sob, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she struggled to get in enough oxygen between convulsions. Seconds later, a pair of small, thin arms wrapped themselves around Melody’s shoulders and pulled her back against a soft chest. She knew that it was Clarke, trying to console her. For some reason, Melody let her. Why not? A heart-wrenching cry rang out as Mel covered her eyes with her hands and tried to erase the images from her memory.

But, as she already knew, some memories stayed with your forever.

"Bellamy…"

Nothing could have stopped Bellamy from throwing himself at Murphy. The two of them went rolling across the forest floor. The sound of Bellamy's grunts rang out, as well as the sound of his fist colliding with what could have only been Murphy’s face. Moments later, the sound of Murphy’s low groans began to surface as well. Even if she could have,  
Melody wouldn't have tried to stop Bellamy from attacking Murphy. Because now, Murphy was getting the justice that he had been asking for.

Clarke, however, wasn’t in the same frame of mind. She released Melody and darted back across the clearing, towards where the two men were struggling in the dirt. "Bellamy, stop!" Urged Clarke, her voice rising. "You'll kill him!"

"Good." Melody slowly climbed to her feet. Charlotte’s death was fresh in her mind and even fresher in her heart. There was only one thing on her mind right now. It seemed to be the common theme of the night; _justice._ If this was the kind of justice that was going to be sought on Earth, then she was going to have a hand in delivering it, too. 

If you can’t beat them, join them.

Melody lunged for the both of them. If she happened to lash out at Bellamy, so be it. _An eye for an eye._ That’s how they did justice down here, right? Screw right and wrong. Screw good and bad. Melody was longing to feel Murphy's broken face beneath her fists. She wanted to know the warmth of his blood dripping from her fingertips. To see the light die from his eyes would have been a privilege. Rage had consumed her and there was no room left for sadness or mercy or anything else. 

"Melody, no!" Clarke managed to grab Melody and pull her backwards, away from the fight.

Melody threw herself forward, clawing her way towards the action. Had it been anyone else, she wouldn’t have hesitated before taking them out in an attempt to get to Murphy.  
The fury that now fueled her actions was unlike anything she had ever felt before. But Clarke wasn't just anybody. She was Melody's friend. So, Melody struggled and thrashed about as the both of them watched Finn tear Bellamy away from Murphy.

"Get off of me! He deserves to die!" Roared Bellamy, fighting to get back to Murphy.

Clarke released Melody and crossed the small clearing quickly, moving to stand in front of Murphy. The stance was almost protective, definitely defiant, and it angered both Melody and Bellamy. Their eyes met once more and the fury that Melody felt was reflected in Bellamy's darkened gaze. This was personal. Clarke and Finn may not realize the complete significance of what had just happened, but it was not lost on the two rebel warriors that had fought tooth and nail to protect that little girl.

Charlotte had been floated.

Just like Octavia could have been. Just like Melody could have been. And here she was, absolutely helpless once more. At the mercy of others, of people who didn’t understand and who couldn’t even begin to comprehend. Just like it was on the Ark. And once again, Melody had failed to defend a helpless, young girl. Just like she had failed to defend herself.

"We don't decide who lives and dies. Not down here." Clarke shouted. Her blue gaze flickered between both Melody and Bellamy. In her gaze, there was a silent plea. A plea for them to overcome their anger and their frustration, and to serve the justice that was actually deserved. 

Wasn’t this what Melody had been saying all along? Ever since that day in the dropship, when Murphy had tried to kill Jasper. No one deserved to have their life taken from them, or their fate decided for them. There would be justice. There would always be justice...but it didn’t have to be the kind of justice that they’d always known. They could change things, down here. They could make things better. 

_Would I have been able to live with myself if I'd helped to kill Murphy?_

Melody thought long and hard, but ultimately she knew the answer to her question; no, she wouldn’t have. Human life had to be respected, even if the world they’d been raised in had regarded it as insignificant. They had to be better than those who came before them. 

"So help me god, if you say the people have a right to decide…" Bellamy practically growled the words at Clarke, his hands clenched into fists by his sides.

"No, I was wrong before, okay? You were right. Sometimes it's dangerous to tell people the truth.” Admitted Clarke. “But if we're gonna survive down here, we can't just live by whatever the hell we want. We need rules." 

Bellamy ran a hand through his shaggy, dark hair and sighed audibly. The indecision was plain on his face. He was torn between doing what he really wanted to, and being the person that Clarke was asking him to be, the better person. 

"And who makes those rules, huh? You?"

That didn't sound like a terrible idea. Clarke was intelligent and fair and would be a great leader, if not for the fact that she lacked influence. The people didn’t listen to her, not if there was someone else that offered up a better argument. She needed someone by her side who was strong enough to rule by force or fear or persuasion or whatever. Someone  
who could reign in the delinquents if necessary. Someone like Bellamy.

Clarke’s eyes lit up hopefully. "For now, we make the rules. Okay?" 

Bellamy accepted this. Wasn’t it what he’d wanted all along? To make the rules and lead the people? That should have made him happy, but there was still too much pent-up anger in his heart. "So, what, then? We just take him back and pretend like it never happened?" He shot a disgusted look towards Murphy, who was still laying on the forest floor. His face was bloody and swollen and he watched them with frightened eyes. 

"No.” She looked down at Murphy, and then her gaze found Melody. "We banish him." Clarke suggested vehemently, looking to Melody in a way that almost made it seem as if she were asking for an opinion.

Apparently, this was now a democracy.

It was a better plan than just outright killing him, Melody had to admit. They didn’t need that blood on their hands. They didn’t need the guilt that would follow the kill. So, she gave Clarke a single, curt nod.

Bellamy grabbed Murphy by the front of his shirt and hauled the boy to his feet roughly, saying simply, "Get up."

Melody had conflicting emotions. She wanted nothing more than for Murphy to suffer for what he had inadvertly caused. She wanted Charlotte’s death to be avenged and she wanted everyone to know that justice had been served. And yet, at the same time, she couldn't stomach seeing another person -even one as horrible as Murphy- die tonight. Each  
life down here was precious, and they weren’t theirs to take. 

"Bellamy, stop!" Clarke watched in horror as Bellamy veered off course and dragged Murphy towards the edge of the cliff. The same edge where a little girl had taken her final breaths just minutes prior. 

"Bellamy." Melody’s voice was quiet, but it caught his attention. Their gazes met for the dozenth time that night, brown and green, fire and ice. Mel gave the subtlest shake of her head, steely eyes conveying the message that she couldn't bring herself to say aloud; he's not worth it.

Bellamy spent a few moments weighing his options, before giving Murphy a rough shake and pushing him to the very brink of oblivion. "If I ever catch you near camp, we'll be back here. Understand?"

Murphy nodded weakly in response to the words, but he was either too weak or too scared to do much else. Bellamy shoved him aside and the boy fell to the ground, landing in a crumpled heap. The sound of his ragged breathing filled the air, as if he were choking back sobs. Melody forced herself to look away from him and towards Bellamy. She would not let herself feel bad. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

"As for the four of you," Bellamy addressed the group that had been following Murphy. The ones who had been so blood-thirsty, but now looked like they were shaking in their boots. That’s what happened when bullies got confronted. "You can come back and follow me or go off with him to die. Your choice."

Bellamy had spoken his piece, and was done with it. He began to walk away from them all, but after a moment he stopped and turned back to Melody with raised eyebrows. She nodded her head slightly and began to follow after him. The curious look that Finn gave her was not lost on Melody. She desperately wanted to tell him that she couldn't stay. That she couldn't look at Murphy for one more second without feeling the familiar guilt as what she had been about to do truly sunk in…but all she managed to do was give him a weak smile.

They walked back to camp in silence. Neither of them felt like making idle chitchat, not after what had just happened. The silence was not uncomfortable, however. Not on either side. There was a newfound connection between the two of them that Melody didn't quite understand yet. They were not friends, but they were not enemies…they were allies. Comrades. Skating on a very thin line, but they still stood united.

And for now, that was enough.

 

|oOo|

 

"Will we be able to talk to them?" Clarke’s question echoed the thoughts of everyone in the room. 

They watched on anxiously as Monty put the finishing touches on his project. He’d been working for days on what looked like a mess of metal, wires, and wristbands. When Melody had poked the mass of junk and voiced her opinion out loud, Monty had informed her that it was exactly a mess of metal, wires, and wristbands, but it was also a complex system that she should refrain from touching.

Monty had sass.

"No. More like Morse code." He touched the tip of a screwdriver to the wristband for the last time. It was done. "You want to do the honors?" Monty reached into the mess of techy  
junk and offered Jasper one of the wires. 

The two exchanged grins, and then Monty began to talk Jasper through the procedure. "That port right there." He said, pointing to a spot on the wristband that looked vaguely like an outlet. 

They watched in expectation, waiting for something to happen. Anything. Maybe a voice or a signal of some sort. Even just for the wristband to turn back on, for the little flashing light to power back up begin transmitting. Anything to let them know that they’d made the connection and had reached the Ark. 

What they got in response was less than reassuring. Jasper connected the wire to the port, but the moment contact was made the wire emitted a large spark. In a cloud of smoke, all of Monty’s hard work was gone and they were back to square one. 

Clarke was the first one to question it. "What happened?"

"Didn't work." Monty said simply, a pained expression crossing his face. "I think…I think we fried all of the wristbands."

Melody didn't speak engineer. However, no one needed to explain anything to her. Monty's work had been destroyed and now all of the wristbands were non-operational. Without working wristbands, Monty had no technology…

In other words, they had officially lost all hope.


	10. Chapter 10

For the first night since they’d arrived on Earth, things were quiet around the camp.

An almost peaceful feeling had settled over camp following the aftermath of Bellamy and Clarke's declaration that they would now be co-leading. Everyone seemed to feel a little bit better now that they had a solid foundation of a society. No one objected to their two leaders deciding to band together. In fact, they seemed to embrace it. Murphy's banishment had been accepted by all of the delinquents, but Charlotte's death unnerved them. Melody supposed that was why everyone had decided to take it easy that night.

There were several fires lit throughout camp, and the majority of them were surrounded by small groups of friends. Some people talked quietly and laughed amongst themselves, but mostly they just enjoyed what was left of the night. Despite all that had happened over the last twenty-four hours, there seemed to be a lightness among the spirits of the campers. The moon was bright, the stars were out, and the wall was finally completed. Murphy was gone and he wouldn’t be coming back. 

They could all rest easy tonight.

Almost all of them, anyways. 

Melody succeeded in finding a fire that had been abandoned by campers who were long-since retired for the night. When she happened upon it, the fire was little more than a pile of glowing, orange embers. Melody bent beside the pile of firewood and made herself busy as she cupped her hands around the small flame and urged it back to life. After a few failed attempts the fire began to build itself back up, radiating a warmth that enveloped her lovingly.

She eased herself to the ground and sat as close to the fire as possible without the risk of being roasted alive. Despite the heat seeping into her skin, Melody felt so cold inside.   
Over and over again the images of Charlotte jumping from the cliff played in her mind. It filled Melody with a deep sense of sadness as she thought about the young girl that could have been such an important attribute to their society.

_Eight down, ninety-two to go._

The sound of heavy footsteps approaching caused Melody to tense slightly. She wasn't in the mood for company; it was why she had distanced herself from the group. It was why she had distanced herself from everyone. Melody couldn't stand to sit in the dropship and listen as Octavia babied Jasper about frying the freaking wristbands and Monty whined about losing all of his work. As if they didn't have bigger problems right now. 

"I'm not in the mood." Melody barked out at whoever was approaching. She figured that whoever it was, friend or foe, would have enough common sense to turn around and leave her alone. And if they didn’t, then that was on them. 

Melody kept her eyes trained on the fire as the footsteps continued to bring the mystery person closer and closer. The sound of gentle breathing could soon be heard. It was soft and even, as if the person had not a care in the world. There seemed to be slight hesitation in whether or not they should approach, but eventually Melody felt the presence of someone sitting down next to her, just a few feet away. 

She was completely prepared to lash out at whoever it was, but before she had the chance to do so Melody heard a soft, gravelly voice in her ear and immediately all traces of anger seemed to fade away, into the background.

"You alright, sweetheart?" Asked Bellamy.

He had lowered himself to the ground beside her and was currently trying to warm his hands by her fire. Bellamy's presence seemed to be doing funny things to Melody as of late.   
It felt so natural for Melody to feed off of his anger when they were fighting; she had always seemed to do that. But now things were starting to change between them. When Bellamy used his soft, kind voice and looked at her with that _damned_ concerned look in his eyes she felt as if they were almost…friends. She almost felt like she could let down her guard.

Depending on the situation, he either fueled the flame inside of her or extinguished it completely. 

"I'm fine." Melody’s voice was short and clipped. She didn’t allow her her gaze to stray from the blazing fire that raged in front of her. She focused on the flickering flames as if her life depended on them. 

Bellamy scoffed. Once again, he seemed to have the ability to see right through her. "You're grieving."

"I'm grieving?" Her eyes snapped towards him. A newfound ferocity blazed within their mossy green depths. How _dare_ he try and put such a mundane label on her feelings. "And you know this how?"

Bellamy was surprised by the sudden shift in Melody. He had noticed that she almost seemed to bounce between multiple personalities. There was the friendly and inviting side of Melody that he was so rarely blessed with and then there was the guarded, defensive side of her that seemed to come out of hiding whenever he was around. It was as if she were afraid of letting him anywhere near the inner workings of her mind. Not that Bellamy blamed her, of course; he kept a tight wrap on his private thoughts, too.

"I know because I'm grieving, too." Bellamy said simply, lifting his shoulders slightly in a shrugging motion.

A laugh rang out in the air between the two of them, but it was filled with no humor. "You're not grieving like I am, Bellamy. You're not the one with Charlotte's death on your conscience."

"I'm not?" Bellamy glared down at her. "I failed to protect her, Melody. _I promised_ I wouldn't let anything happen to her. And now she's dead."

It hadn't occurred to Melody that the male might have a guilty conscious of his own. She’d been so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she hadn’t even considered how Charlotte’s death might be affecting the rest of them. Now that she thought about it, Bellamy had made it his mission to protect Charlotte from Murphy at all costs. Even when they'd been backed onto the cliff, he had been willing to fight to the death just so the girl might have a slim chance of escaping. There had to be some regret, but Melody wasn't convinced that he felt even an inkling of the guilt that now consumed her mind, body, and soul.

"I _let go_ , Bellamy!" Melody began to shout, unable to hide the nearly hysterical edge that had crept into her voice. Her eyes swam with tears, her chest felt tight. It was as if she were reliving the moment over again, still helpless and unable to change the outcome. "I had a hold of her. My arm was draped over her shoulders and I was holding her so close that our bodies were practically one. And then…I let go." The last three words were barely more than a whisper in the wind, they seemed to slip from the fingertips that Melody used to demonstrate how she’d just let go of Charlotte. 

Melody leaned forward until she was resting her brow against her bent knees. Dainty arms wrapped protectively around her head, entirely hiding Melody's devastated expression from Bellamy's view. Mel had the strongest urge to bury her face in the safety of her arms and cry until she had no more tears left to shed. But she knew that it would accomplish absolutely nothing. If anything, it would just make her look weak.

"You can't blame yourself for this, Melody." Bellamy said firmly.

_Oh yes I can._

"It's all my fault." Was Melody's muffled reply.

She could feel something in the air shift, but she didn’t bother to raise her head from the safety of her folded arms. Moments later, Bellamy's arm was wrapped around her shoulders and he was pulling her close. The weight of his arm draped across her back was a bit awkward, entirely unfamiliar, and they both tensed at the sudden proximity between them. Yet somehow, the gesture was oddly comforting. 

"No it isn't. I don't think it's either one of our faults." Bellamy shook his head slightly. "I think that no matter what we did, Charlotte was determined to die."

The thought made Melody's stomach churn. She remembered the last words that Charlotte had spoken. _I can't let any of you get hurt anymore. Not because of me. Not after what I did._ And it occurred to Melody then that Charlotte might have actually wanted to die. Perhaps the guilt had eaten away at her until she thought that death was the only solution. Maybe Charlotte's demons haunted her nightmares just as Melody's did. But Melody could have taught Charlotte how to move forward. She could have taught her how to cope. She could have saved her. 

"It was probably the guilt." Melody raised her head, but kept her knees pressed tightly to her chest. She felt as if she were physically holding herself together and one false movement would send her unraveling. 

"The guilt over killing Wells or letting Murphy almost get hanged?" Bellamy looked down at her with a wry smile.

Melody burst out laughing, the sound shaky and slightly frantic. She knew that it was the most inappropriate time to be laughing, but she couldn't help herself. There was just something about the almost ironic way that Bellamy had said the words. The laughter had been short, but it relieved some of the weight that was bearing down on her chest. It was either laugh or cry, and Melody didn't want to do the latter.

"Killing Wells." Melody replied, although the question had most likely been rhetorical. Her voice was soft and thoughtful, filled with understanding. "It's a guilt that doesn't just go away." The words hung in the air between them as Melody once again over-shared her thoughts and said something that she hadn't intended to say.

Bellamy was silent, thinking her words over. The silence didn’t bother either one of them. When he finally did speak again, his voice was thoughtful and curious, but also strangely hollow. "Does it ever go away?" 

Melody was surprised by the shameful gleam that she saw in his eyes. Shame looked so out of place in those dark, smoldering brown eyes. Once again Melody had the feeling that   
Bellamy was hiding something; something big. And yet she couldn’t bring herself to just ask him outright, because it wasn’t her place to do so. 

"No." Melody shook her head and gave him a sad little smile. "You can bury it. You can ignore it. But it doesn't go away." She shrugged. She had long ago come to terms with the guilt, she was no longer bothered by the fact that it couldn’t be erased. "Even if you come to peace with everything, the guilt never really goes away. It just fades."

He didn't respond to Melody's words, but that didn't surprise her. She had found that when they were talking like this, on those rare occasions when it was just the two of them, Bellamy didn't always feel the need to voice his opinion. He didn't really have to, because Melody was just as comfortable with silence as she was with talking. Maybe even more so.

The silence that settled over them was calming. The pain in Melody's chest lessened slightly with every passing minute although it didn't go away. She doubted it would ever go away, but having someone who shared her pain by her side had begun the healing process. Her newfound friendship -or whatever it was- with Bellamy was unexpected to say the least. But not even Melody could deny that they had some sort of connection. It wasn't what she felt with her other friends - she felt something deeper than just friendship with Clarke, Finn, Monty, Jasper, and even Octavia- but it was definitely something.

"Hey Bellamy…" Melody turned her head to look at him, but she was surprised to find that there was no one there. What the hell? She suspected that he had been gone for a while now and she just hadn't realized it. When had minutes begun to turn into hours? She had been far too wrapped up in her own thoughts to pay much attention to him, anyways.

Mel didn't know whether she should be relieved that she got what she had originally wanted -solitude- or if she should be upset that Bellamy had left her alone to grieve by herself. Whenever he was around, it didn't hurt so badly. It was as if he shouldered some of her pain. Alone, Melody didn't know if she could handle all of the guilt. It felt to her like no one else _understood_. Not the way Bellamy did.

Melody didn't like the fact that she felt so dependent on the boy all of a sudden. If there was anything Melody prided herself on -aside from badassedness- it was her independence. She liked being able to handle shit on her own. Relying on other people was not a good habit to develop; she knew from experience.

But when it came to Bellamy Blake, nothing about their relationship was very rational.

Melody didn't know when she had begun to let Bellamy in. Perhaps it was that night in his tent, after she had gotten into the fight with Murphy; the night she had kept him from killing Jasper. Bellamy had revealed that he had known about her crimes all along. In return, Melody had called that painful afternoon so many years ago when she had murdered the man that was as good as her father. Her savior, her father, her abuser, her destroyer, her victim; Jason Evans had been many things to Melody. And the memories that   
Bellamy's words had inspired left Melody feeling vulnerable and panicked.

That's when she realized it; when she could pinpoint the exact moment she had begun to let her guard down.

_"Bellamy…" Melody trailed off, not knowing what to say. Every instinct told her to get on her knees and beg him not to tell anyone. But Melody was not the begging type. She never had been and never would be. Not if she could help it._

_"I won't tell anyone, Melody." Bellamy said suddenly, surprising her. "We all have our secrets, don't we?"_

That was the moment Melody realized that while Bellamy may have been a "power hungry, self-serving jackass," he was still a person. Up until that moment she had been judging him rather harshly, based off of the way he so easily manipulated people and how he was so willing to make the hard decisions. She had thought of him as cold and heartless and possibly even robotic. But in that moment, when he had offered to keep her secret for no reason other than common decency, Melody truly began to realize that there might be something more buried beneath the surface.

Now, Melody wasn't saying that Bellamy was anywhere close to being included in "us." Their small group was a very fragile thing; there wasn't a lot of room for new additions. Clarke and Finn had already covered the roles of responsibility. Monty was the brains of the group and Jasper was the comedian. Octavia was the rebel. And then there was Melody, who was their protector. Bellamy had no place amongst them; he had no _purpose._

But maybe one day.

Melody sat thinking for a long, long time. She'd spent four years just thinking. Thinking about her mother, whom they never let visit, and wondering she was managing by herself in the Factory Station. Thinking about Jason. Thinking about what he did. Thinking about herself. About how much she had lost and in return, how much she had changed. Four solid years of thinking -of dwelling- and she managed to keep hold of her sanity.

Melody found that she liked thinking on Earth. The memories down here were traumatic, but they were strangely beautiful. She liked to think about that very first day in the dropship. The day that she had first met Jasper and Monty. She liked to recall the energetic and optimistic vibe -the one that had long ago vanished- that Jasper had been giving off. She liked to remember the brush of his fingers against hers as they spiraled out of control, falling into the Earth's atmosphere. And she fondly recalled his laughter as he spun her around and around as they took their first steps on Earth.

They had persevered.

She also liked to remember the long days they'd spent on their journey to Mount Weather. Melody found that she could think about that time period and smile because that had been the true beginning of "us." They hadn't known each other then, but it hadn't mattered. There had always been that underlying sense of loyalty and protectiveness. That was proven when Jasper had dove into the lake after Octavia. It was proven again when the boys had insisted Melody sleep between the two of them, so she would be safe. And it was proven for a third time when Jasper had gotten speared and they had done everything in their power to bring him home.

They had persevered.

Even now, with Charlotte's death just barely behind them, Melody was able to think about it and begin to heal. She recalled the time that she had spent in the woods, searching for Charlotte with Bellamy. And it warmed her heart to think about how Bellamy had been so eager to risk his life for the young girl. Not to mention the fact that Charlotte's death had caused Murphy's banishment. It was horrible that the young girl's life had to be lost in order to bring everyone together. Melody and Bellamy as friends, Bellamy and Clarke as co-leaders, and the 100 as a unit. Life had been lost, but a society had been created. 

They had persevered.

Melody sat thinking about this for a long time. She was so beyond proud at how well their little group adapted and accepted everything that was thrown their way. They worked together, not only to get things done, but because here they were all one another had. And she knew why they were able to suffer such hardships and persevere, of course; _they were Apache._

Melody spent well over an hour just sitting by the fire and thinking. Thinking about things on Earth and things on the Ark, and how much change they’d all endured. They finally felt like a _unit_ , like a group of cogs in a machine that were working together rather than against one another for the first time. They weren’t Bellamy’s followers being pitted against Clarke’s followers; they were just the 100.

She either didn't notice that most of the other campers had begun to retire or she didn't care. Mel was content to sit by herself and watch the fire slowly burn out until there was nothing left of it except for the ashes. The flame had died down considerably when Melody heard the soft and light footsteps approaching her at a rapid pace.

She didn't have to turn around to know that it was Octavia who had joined her. She was getting better at noting the things that made her friends themselves. Like the sounds of their footsteps, or the patterns of their breathing, or their strange habits.

"Make a wish."

Melody looked up in confusion, but saw that Octavia's eyes were not on her. Instead, they were fixated on some point in the sky. Her eyes slowly swung in the general direction of the girl's gaze and Melody was surprised to see what looked like a shooting star. It was the first one she had ever seen; it was probably the first one anyone had ever seen. And it was beautiful.

"Wow." Mel watched the small, rapidly moving meteor burn as it passed through the earth's atmosphere, leaving a fiery trail in its wake. "We're supposed to wish on it?" Melody questioned, giving Octavia a confused look. 

Octavia nodded her head, briefly tearing her gaze away from the star so that she could look down at Melody while she spoke. "If you wish on a shooting star your wish is supposed to come true."

"Oh. Alright. Well, I wish for-" Melody was cut off mid-sentence by warm hand pressed against her mouth. She looked up at O with her brows knitted together, not knowing what she had done wrong.

"You don't say it _out loud_." Octavia rolled her eyes. Apparently that was common knowledge, as if people wished on stars every day. "You think it. Otherwise the wish won't come true."

"Fine then." Melody pushed the hand away from her mouth and turned her attention back towards the shooting star. As if that made any sense. "I'll just…wait." Eyes widening,   
Melody scrambled to her feet. She leaned up on her tiptoes, as if that would somehow get her closer, and studied the flaming ball of space matter. Only it wasn't space _matter_ …it was a space _ship._

"Bellamy, get out here!" Octavia called excitedly, a grin lighting up her face. The two girls stood there, staring up at the ship in delighted wonder. “Holy shit, Mels! Can you believe it?” Octavia reached out and grabbed Melody’s hand, giving her fingers a gentle squeeze. 

“I can’t.” Replied Melody. And she couldn’t. 

Bellamy came hurrying towards the two of them to see what all of the fuss was about, his footsteps loud and heavy, and his voice low as he murmured something about ‘scared the hell out of me.’ Melody turned with excited eyes to tell him what they were seeing, but the words somehow got caught in her throat. Bellamy was approaching them quickly, shirtless and buttoning his pants as he walked. Two girls, a blonde and a brunette, sauntered out of the tent behind him, wrapped in nothing but blankets.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what had been going down in his tent.

"What is it?" He words were for Octavia, but he had eyes only for Melody.

She turned away from him and continued to watch the ship's rapid approach. That was much more interesting, and it brought good feelings rather than sick ones. A parachute deployed from the back of the ship and it began to slow, but not enough. Melody also noticed how small the ship was. It couldn't have carried more than a handful of people at best. Guards, maybe? Supplies? She couldn't be sure.

An excited voice called out from across the camp. "It's an exodus ship!"

"They're coming to help us!" Another cheered.

"Now we can kick some grounder ass!"

People began to gather in the middle of camp, all of them trying to get a better look at the ship. They were hopeful and excited about what this might mean, most of them whooping and hollering, but Melody couldn’t bring herself to join in with the celebrating. She had the strangest feeling in the pit of her gut, which was nagging at her. Shouldn't   
the entire population be coming down to earth before they all died from oxygen deprivation? If so, why was there only one ship? And why did it look so unstable?

"Please tell me they brought down some shampoo." One of the girls -the one with dark hair- said hopefully, pulling the edges of a blanket closer around her otherwise bare body.

"All the shampoo in the world couldn't wash away your sins, honey." The vicious words were out of Melody's mouth before she could think to stop them. Even if she had, she probably wouldn’t have. 

The hostility came out of nowhere. Melody couldn’t explain the anger that was suddenly radiating off of her in vicious waves. This newfound fury completely consumed her; mind, body, and soul. Her once serene aura shifted, darkening until Melody felt as angry and raw and confrontational as she had upon her return to camp. It wasn’t as if the girl had done anything to offend Mel. It had nothing to do with what she had done; it was who she had done.

"Excuse me?" The brunette girl -whose name was Amy or Annie or something of that nature- raised her eyebrows at Melody and crossed her arms over her chest defensively.

"I didn't stutter." The words came out as little more than a low growl. Her dark green eyes were alit with that familiar fire as she studied first this Amy and then her blonde companion, both of whom seemed bewildered and offended by the sudden attack. Melody's expression conveyed disgust and annoyance, and she did nothing to try and mask it.   
"There are _kids_ in this camp. Have a bit of class."

Surprise lit up the brunette's face and she pulled the blanket tighter around herself. She looked as if she wanted nothing more than to escape into it. Regret flickered through Melody, but only for a moment before she was once again feeling justified in her actions. Her words had been a bit harsh, yes, but they had gotten the message across. There were some children in the camp although the majority of them were in their later teens. A few of the delinquents, however, were probably as young as Charlotte had been. 

Not that it really mattered, because that wasn’t the real reason for Melody’s frustration.

Embarrassed or ashamed, _Amy_ scrambled away, presumably to find something decent to cover her assets. Melody felt a flicker of satisfaction at that.

"You don't run things around here, _bitch_." The blonde girl wasn't as passive as her friend had been. With her straw-colored head held high, she slithered towards Melody like the slimy little snake that she was, claws -or rather, fangs- out. 

The crowd began to whisper. Surprised and worried murmurs filled the air around the two girls as everyone prepared for yet another show. Some of the delinquents had watched Melody’s little fight with Murphy go down. Others had seen her merciless assault of the boy who had messed with Jasper. They could all still see the yellow-ish bruise that lingered on her cheekbone from when Bellamy had accidentally lashed out on her when she'd tried to break up a fight. Word had gotten out about the brutal little redhead that was handing people their asses left and right. And people were beginning to take bets on the fight. 

"You know, screwing the King doesn't make you a queen.” Melody gave the blonde a dismissive once-over. “It just makes you a _slut_.”

Only a few feet separated Melody and the blonde female who, to no one's surprise, looked a bit nervous now that Melody had played into her game. She kept herself just barely out of reach, but Melody was quick. She could close the distance between the two of them in just a matter of moments. Apparently she wasn't the only one that realized that, because Bellamy was soon putting himself between the two of the girls, his body turned slightly in Melody's direction as he gave her that _look._

It wasn't going to work this time. Bellamy Blake could stand there in all of his shirtless glory and give her that kind look, but it was not going to work like it had in the past. His gentle eyes did nothing to calm her down; in fact, they only infuriated her further. It dawned on Melody that everything had been an act. He had figured out how to manipulate her and used it to his advantage. And now he was trying to do it again.

"Keep that damn look to yourself, Blake." Snapped out Melody, giving him a look of disdain. She was in no mood to play games. Not tonight, not when she was a whirlwind of emotions and feeling less than in-control of herself. "I feel no remorse."

"Are you just gonna let her talk to us like that, Bel?" The blonde whimpered and looked up at Bellamy with big, blue eyes. Puppy dog eyes. Disgusting. 

“Shhh.” Cooed Bellamy with quickly-fading patience. 

The girl went to move towards him, but Bellamy held his hand out to stop her from getting too close. His eyes remained locked on Melody's, a silent battle. That familiar angry gleam lit up two pools of dark brown, setting them ablaze. Melody's sharp tongue had the two of them falling back into the same old patterns.

"Watch your mouth, Melody." He stared her down, trying to intimidate her, but it wasn’t going to work. When did it ever? It would take a lot more than a Bellamy Blake stare down to unnerve her. "Brittany, come here." Two fingers beckoned the girl forward and she practically ran in order to eagerly curl up against Bellamy's side.

Octavia was laughing quietly to herself as she stood at Melody's side, watching the whole thing go down with a grin. Everyone was used to Bellamy's endless parade of girls. The majority of the girls in camp were just dying to get spend a night in his bed. As if that would somehow make them important. As if it would give them even an inkling of power. These two meant nothing to him; they were just a couple of warm bodies. Just like the rest of them.

" _Brittany_ is the one who picked a fight with me." Melody couldn’t stop herself from gritting her teeth as she glared at the two of them. For once, she hadn’t even started things. At least not directly. And yet somehow, she still got the blame.

"You were being a bitch." The blonde scowled at Melody. "To Annie."

So it _was_ Annie!

"You're about one step away from seeing how big of a bitch I am." Melody took a single, threatening step forward. She was both delighted and appalled when the girl looked at her uncertainly and clung tighter to Bellamy, practically wrapping herself around him. 

"You wouldn't dare."

Melody laughed shortly, the sound void of humor. Wouldn’t she, though? Dare to prove herself, that is. "I don't think you know who you're talking to, honey."

Bellamy decided then that it was time to intervene, before things got too heated. And like expected, he was siding with his bed warmers. "Your comments aren't necessary, Melody." Bellamy scowled at her and crossed his arms over his chest. "I think you should apologize."

Mel crossed her arms over her chest as she debated what she should do in this situation. For a few moments her gaze locked onto Bellamy's and they stared at each other evenly.   
The thing Bellamy didn't realize was that Melody didn't apologize on someone else's terms. She barely even apologized on her own terms. Melody didn't want to back down, but she also didn't quite feel up to challenging Bellamy's authority today. 

"Yes, _your majesty_." Melody made a big show of swooping down low to curtsy at his feet. When she straightened once more, Melody didn't even look at the blonde. She had eyes only for Bellamy. "I am _truly_ sorry that you don't keep better company."

Apparently the apology wasn't good enough for him or his friend, but it was good enough for the rest of them. Melody found herself smirking at the laughter that suddenly erupted among the group. It wasn't loud or obnoxious; it was rather quiet and contained. No one wanted to be on the bad side of Bellamy, after all. And if looks could kill…

"Melody." Bellamy's voice was an angry, warning growl. 

Melody made it a point to sigh loudly and cross her arms over her chest. She sent scowls in their direction. "I am truly sorry I offended your harlot." Melody began again. "But next time you won't be there to protect her when she runs her mouth." The underlying threat in her voice was hard to miss. "And I won't be so forgiving."

"You bitch!" The blonde lunged for her. 

Melody reached out and shoved the girl, Brittany, away. She had no desire to get into a full-blown fight right in the middle of camp. She was angry, yes, but she was more annoyed and frustrated than anything else. What would fighting do, other than make her feel good for a few minutes? Besides, she didn't even want to touch that body with a ten-foot pole.   
The girl staggered back a few steps, lost her footing and fell to the ground. Laughter erupted once more as the blonde attempted to clutch the blanket to her exposed body.   
Melody had won without even lifting a finger. 

The sigh of the girl laying there, desperately trying to claw at whatever shred of dignity she had left, rubbed Melody the wrong way and quickly evaporated the ill-feelings. Her stomach rolled, sending waves of nausea through her body. The sight was all too familiar. She, too, had once been left naked and exposed and faced by nothing but laughter and jest. 

_See you for dinner._

Melody quickly approached the girl once more, this time intent on helping rather than hurting. She reached out to grab Brittany’s hand, but before she could make contact an all too familiar hand wrapped around her wrist. 

 

"Let go of me, Bellamy.” She pulled away from him, hating the feeling of his skin against her. She knew where that skin had been. “I’m just trying to help her.” 

"Brittany, you've caused enough trouble for tonight." He snapped the words at the blonde, but still offered his hand to help her up. The girl was looking at Melody confusedly -most likely in regards to the comment about helping her- as she accepted the offered hand and climbed to her feet, still clutching the blanket. “Apologize.” 

"I'm sorry I called you a bitch." She muttered, somewhat reluctantly as she looked down at her feet. Unlike Melody, she was too afraid to defy Bellamy, and so she succumbed to his request for an apology. The blonde didn’t linger for long. She turned and took off towards the tent that her friend had disappeared into minutes before. 

“Uh…” Melody watched the girl’s retreating figure. “Thanks?” 

“Alright, show’s over.” Bellamy announced loudly, much to the disappointment of the onlookers, who had been hoping for some action. “Lights out, people.” 

As quickly as it had begun, the altercation was over. 

Melody didn't drag her feet as Bellamy led her back to his tent. She knew it would only make her look like even more of a petulant child. Instead, she gritted her teeth and followed after Bellamy as slowly as she could manage. It was humiliating to be treated like such a child all the time. To her surprise and relief, no one was laughing. The few who remained just watched with mild interest. The majority of them had gone back to their lives, though, because the show was over. 

The tent was becoming familiar. Bellamy zipped the tent flap behind them in the same angry, jerky manner that she’d grown accustomed to. Melody leaned back against his hand-made table and looked at him with a rather droll expression on her face. All she wanted to do was get this lecture over with, so she could turn in for the night and try to have dreams that didn’t involve Charlotte’s death on a constant loop. 

"Why am I here, Blake?" Melody demanded, pretending to look at an imaginary watch on her wrist, as if she didn't have time for this shit. And she didn't. Not tonight.

"You can't just go around being an asshole all the time." Bellamy crossed his arms tightly over his chest and looked down at Melody.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She scowled and mimicked his actions, crossing her arms over her chest in a stance that was so very much hers, not his. "Forgive me for thinking that people   
should act appropriate."

"Annie did nothing to you. You could have just left her alone and went on with your night." Bellamy was having a hard time masking his frustration, which was most likely a result of always having to scold Melody.

"You mean I could have left her alone and you could have gotten on with your night." Melody corrected, raising her eyebrows in a way that clearly said she thought she knew what she was talking about, so there was no point in trying to deny it.

"Damn it, Melody!" He ran both hands through his dark hair, making it stand on end. "Why are you always trying to piss people off? I get that you were trying to protect Jasper when you fought with Murphy. And then again with that kid beyond the wall. But Annie didn't do shit to you, or to anyone else for that matter." 

"I don't try to piss people off, Bellamy. They piss me off."

Bellamy ran a hand over his face in exasperation. He was on the verge of snapping when suddenly a new light entered his eyes. It was mischievous and daring, totally unlike anything that Melody had ever seen reflected in those dark brown depths, and it did funny things to her breathing pattern.

"Melody…are you jealous?"

"What? No!” Her eyes grew wide as she stared up at him, denying his accusation just a little too quickly. "Why would I be jealous of those sluts?"

Had he gone mad?

"I don't know. Maybe you're into me." Bellamy suggested offhandedly, as if it was the furthest thing from his mind. His words were accompanied by the damned little lazy half-shrug, which never failed to irritate the living hell out of Melody. 

"Get over yourself, Bellamy. I'm not pissed off at those girls. I'm pissed at you and they're just guilty by association."

That much was true. Annie and Brittany were not the source of Melody's anger. They had just been unlucky enough to have presented her with an opportunity to take it out on them. Melody's real source of anger was staring down at her with a confused look in his eyes.

"Me?" Bellamy now wore an exasperated look on his face. "Sweetheart, I didn't do shit to piss you off. Last I knew, we were on good terms."

"Oh, you mean five minutes before you were all over those girls?" She narrowed her green eyes accusingly and raised he chin slightly; a sure sign that she was pissed off and not willing to back down.

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" Demanded Bellamy. "It's not like I was getting anywhere with you."

Melody's eyes widened first in surprise, and then narrowed into a glare as the meaning behind his words fully registered. She didn't find his comment to be funny in the slightest.   
The two of them had been having a moment, that was true, but it was innocent. And now, Melody realized that it was all a sham. He had obviously not been as affected by   
Charlotte's death as he let on. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone straight from grieving to grinding.

"So that's it, huh?" There was a defeated sort of edge to Melody’s voice, but she quickly covered it up with disgust. "You were pretending to grieve over Charlotte to 'get somewhere' with me?" 

"That was a joke, Melody."

"Answer the damn question."

"No!" Bellamy threw his hands in the air, causing Melody to lean back slightly. "Not everyone bottles their feelings up inside, Melody. Some people take action."

The words puzzled Melody. Not everyone bottles their feelings up inside. She did. Why couldn't he? Some people take action. Take action…it was then that the meaning of his words dawned on her.

"Are you saying that you used those girls to forget about Charlotte?" Melody didn’t know if she was more horrified with him, for doing something so low and appalling, or at herself for making it into such a big spectacle.

"Time wasted, now." The shameful gleam returned to his eyes, the same one that she’d seen when they’d been talking about Charlotte earlier. Now that his momentary distraction had been forgotten, the weight of the world came crashing down once more. 

Well, wasn't this just twisted?

"You're a pig!" Without thinking, Melody lashed out and slapped her hand against Bellamy's bare chest. The sound of the slap echoed throughout the tent, hanging in the air between them.

He looked down in surprise at the small hand resting right on top of his heart. Melody hadn't slapped him hard, but Bellamy's eyes still darkened and he reached down to grab her hand. With one sharp tug, Melody was pressed flush against his chest. Close enough to feel the warmth of his body. To feel his heart beating just beneath the skin. Their eyes met and hers held a playful gleam, but his was more predatory than anything.

"I'm a man." Bellamy spoke slowly, making sure that the full weight of his words was recognized. And for the first time, it was. "It sort of comes with the territory."

Melody rolled her eyes and went to step back, the proximity becoming too much. Bellamy's other hand came down and clutched at the small of her back, holding her flush against him. She felt a twinge of panic, until she caught sight of the huge grin on his face. Confused, Melody scowled up at him and shifted away. Bellamy made no move to let her go, obviously pleased by his ability to easily manhandle the much smaller girl. That was no surprise. He'd been doing it ever since she had met him; literally.

"Bellamy, let go."

"Make me." He grinned impishly.

"Are you kidding right now? I am pissed at you and in no mood to play games." Melody spoke in the most serious voice that she could manage, but the truth of the matter was quite the opposite, actually. She enjoyed this new, playful side of Bellamy. It was oddly…thrilling. She wanted to see more of it, but at the same time she was taken off guard and unsure of how to react.

"Then stop being pissed." He shrugged that lazy half-shrug again. "Most women like being this close to me."

Melody realized then just how close to him she really was. Close enough, in fact, to feel the heat radiating off of his body seep through her clothing. It was warm…really warm. And he smelled good, too. Melody didn't know how considering they didn't even have soap down here. But he did smell good; like leather and grass. She really liked grass…

Wait, what was she thinking? Once again Bellamy was able to easily manipulate her. He had been trying to trick her into forgetting about all of the shit that had went down tonight. About their heart-to-heart, the little confrontation with Brittany, and the fact that he had run straight into the arms of those two girls after he and Melody had finished talking. For some reason, that last one pissed her off the most.

Was she not enough? Could she not help him grieve? They’d had a moment. They had been completely connected, they’d been sharing the weight of the world so that neither one of them had to shoulder it alone. And yet, he’d just gone and thrown all of that away. For what? An easy lay? She was offended. Offended and hurt and totally disgusted, because Bellamy was a lot of things but she’d never known him to act so much like a total man before.

And maybe, just maybe, she was a little bit jealous.

Melody didn't hesitate before she brought her mouth down to his chest and sunk her teeth into the flesh there. It wasn't just a little nip, either. Melody could taste blood as her   
sharp little teeth punctured his skin. As expected, Bellamy cursed loudly and pushed Melody away from him. He stared down at his chest in surprise for a moment before looking at her. Melody found herself delighted that she had managed to one-up him, and that she’d gotten things back on track between the two of them. 

"Go to sleep." Melody laughed softly and walked backwards towards the exit to his tent, not tearing her gaze from his. "First thing tomorrow I plan on going out and finding that ship.

As she departed, Melody could have sworn she saw something akin to panic flash in his eyes just moments before she closed the door behind her.


	11. Chapter 11

"What do you mean he _left?_ " Melody stared unblinkingly at Clarke, trying to process her words through the veil of sleep that still clung to her foggy mind. 

_Bellamy left camp to find the pod._

It didn’t make any sense. Melody had left their fearless leader's tent with a smile on her face, satisfied that she had finally managed to one-up Bellamy Blake. She’d mentioned something about staring out in the morning, and he’d agreed…hadn’t he? 

It was no secret that things between the two of them had been rocky for as long as they’d known each other. Melody was constantly trying to assert her independence while Bellamy was constantly trying to declare his authority. They had fallen into sort of a pattern that wasn’t easily broken. Melody would act out and Bellamy would reprimand her, then they would carry on with life as usual. But not tonight; tonight she had done the reprimanding for a change. And, as expected, she'd added her own little flare to the whole ordeal; a flare that would leave a nasty little mark in the morning.

 _That_ would give him something to think about.

Perhaps Bellamy would finally realize that Melody wasn't just another one of his soldiers. She wasn't his to scold. Maybe her antics had been a bit childish. Or maybe it had been exactly the thing to give Bellamy the eye-opener that he needed. Things between them might be changing, but that didn’t mean that Bellamy was just going to lay down and submit. Not even if she was starting to warm up to him, just a little bit.

After leaving Bellamy's tent, the night had been rather uneventful. Most of the campers had gotten word that they wouldn't be leaving until sunrise and Bellamy’s order of ‘lights out’ had been taken seriously. Assuming that they would all pick up where they’d left off in the morning, Melody had crawled into a neighboring tent to inform -and check on- Monty and Jasper. Upon Jasper's recovery the two boys had been issued a tent considering they no longer had an excuse to stay in the dropship. And since there wasn’t room for three, Octavia had graciously insisted that Melody bunk with her, leaving Mel to drop in for ‘visits’ as often as she could. 

After a short visit with the boys and ensuring that things were alright, Melody had crossed the short distance to her own tent. Octavia was nowhere to be found -which wasn't unusual- so Melody had kicked off her boots, shed the majority of her regular clothing, and crawled into her warm and welcoming bed. Drained from the events of the long day she’d had, Melody had passed out the moment her head hit the pillow. She couldn't have been asleep for more than fifteen or twenty minutes before Clarke was shaking her awake. 

Once again, they had a crisis to handle.

"Bellamy left camp." Clarke stared down at Melody with both arms wrapped tightly around her chest, as if to stave off the night’s cool breeze. "To find the cargo pod that crashed."

Melody's mind was racing as she pulled herself into a sitting position, fighting off the wave of drowsiness that threatened to consume her. They couldn't even have _one_ night to themselves. It was always one thing right after another. Melody was tired; physically and emotionally, and she didn’t know how much longer she could run on low batteries before crashing. 

"Why?" She tried and failed to bite back a yawn, which was so powerful that she felt for a moment as if it might rip her in half. "He said we shouldn't leave until morning. That it was too dangerous."

"We think he's after the radio system that would allow us to communicate with the Ark." Clarke began to pace around the enclosed space, doing anything to keep herself busy. "We need to get to it before he does."

Melody was no rocket scientist, but it didn't take her very long to figure out why they needed to be the ones to reach the pod first. "You think he'll destroy it." Mel said softly, her words hovering somewhere between a question and a statement.

It made sense. Bellamy had been against making contact with the Ark since the beginning. That was why he had removed the peoples' wristbands. It was why he had made such a big deal of convincing the other campers that they could survive on their own. He had made them think that the Ark had turned their backs on them; which, Melody had to admit,   
they essentially had. And now, it was why he had gone out of his way to reach the crashed ship before the rest of them.

He was trying to make the Ark think they were dead. Again. 

" _Clarke_." Urged Melody, who had grown anxious when the latter failed to respond. "Is he going to destroy the radio?" She already knew the answer, but she needed Clarke to say it; that would make it concrete. That would put things into motion.

"Yes." Clarke paused in her pacing to look down at Melody. "Finn and I are heading out. Are you in or not?" The question was short and snappy, full of impatience that Clarke didn’t even try to hide. 

Melody didn't take it personally. When it came to contacting the Ark, she and Clarke were on the same wavelength. They both had people they cared about on that space station. They both had their _mothers_ up there. Neither one of them could stomach the thought of innocent people dying. And that was exactly what would happen if they didn't let the Ark know that Earth was survivable. Impatience was warranted given the situation, and Melody excused it. 

"Definitely." Mel stood up quickly -but unsteadily- and sprung into action. She began to gather the items that she would need for a trip beyond the wall. A jacket, her water bottle, some nutrition packs, a weapon…

"Finn's already packing up some supplies for us to take." Clarke hesitated near the entrance, looking as antsy as ever. When not pacing, she was just staring there, wringing her hands and looking anxious. "He'll probably need help…"

"Go help him." Melody insisted, waving her hand as she hurriedly snaked a belt around her waist and tightened it appropriately. "I'll only be a few minutes."

It was obvious that Clarke would rather be panicking with Finn than with her. Once again, Melody didn't take it personally. She of all people knew that everybody needed somebody. And Finn was Clarke's somebody.

The blonde was relieved. She stood with one foot out the door already, waiting just on Melody’s blessing before taking her leave. "Alright. As soon as you're dressed we'll head out." And with that, she made her escape.

Melody was once again alone in her tent; alone with her thoughts. Thoughts which were very conflicting as of late. She had done her best to give Bellamy Blake the benefit of the doubt. But it seemed that every time Melody was starting to warm up to him, Bellamy went and pulled a stunt that made her want to throttle him. First, he'd forcibly removed her wristband. And then he had threatened to kill Jasper. Days later he had announced that he knew her secret. And then just days after _that_ , he'd tried to hang Murphy. Last night he'd shacked up with Thing One and Thing Two. And now, he was trying to destroy their lifeline to the Ark.

Melody hardly had time to catch her breath before there was a new issue being forced down her throat.

Sitting down on her makeshift bed, Melody pulled her combat boots on, the supple leather sliding on easily, having molded to her feet after days and nights of overuse. As she did up the laces, Mel tried to think positively. "We can beat him to it." She assured herself softly. "We can save the Ark."

She couldn’t afford to think any differently. 

Melody exited the tent as soon as she had properly dressed and armed herself. With the grounders lurking about, no one could be cautious enough. All she had was a knife, but it was enough to defend herself if push came to shove. Unless, of course, the grounders tried to spear her…In which case, she was pretty much screwed. But having the knife on her eased a little bit of the worry. 

Clarke and Finn were waiting for her near the gate, looking impatient. Their gazes softened upon seeing Melody approaching, and they beckoned her forward. She jogged the rest of the way to them, making up for lost time, and took the backpack that Finn held out for her. Melody strapped on the bag -seeing as how it was primarily made out of a seat belt from the dropship, courtesy of Wells' brilliant mind- and put on her game face.

"I'm ready." She looked eagerly between the two of them. She didn’t want to delay things any further. It wasn’t as if they had a whole bunch of excess time to waste. "We should head out. He's already gotten enough of a head start."

Neither one of them disagreed with her logic. Every minute that they wasted was another minute that put Bellamy closer to finding the radio. With Monty's wristbands fried, that radio was their last connection to the Ark. It was literally the Ark’s lifeline. 

It was still dark when they set out, but dawn was rapidly approaching, turning the sky a light shade of grey. Unlike the last time that they’d set out together, they kept their pace brisk and the talking to a minimum. There was no room for leisure. If you slowed down, you were left behind. The three of them were in a race against time. Or rather, a race against Bellamy. And the odds were against them.

The sun was just beginning to come up when the strain on her body began to effect Melody. She was rather fit and no stranger to exercise, especially since coming down to Earth, but no one could attempt such a quest without breaking a sweat. Their strides hadn't slowed any in the last half hour and they had long ago fallen silent as they willed their bodies to continue forward, driven by nothing but sheer determination. 

Melody's chest was heaving, constricting, and her legs were throbbing in protest to the overuse. Her breath came out in short pants, because anything more made her lungs feel as if they were on fire and the weight in her chest was already causing her to struggle for breath. All of a sudden, it became all her legs could do just to carry her weight. It wasn't long before the cramps would start; she knew the signs of muscle fatigue. In short, she felt like one walking -or rather running- ache. There wasn't a part of Melody that didn't feel the extent of her overexertion.

With the pain came a feeling of exuberance that Melody both adored and detested. She had never felt more alive nor closer to death. In a way, the pain woke her up. It made her more aware of herself. Melody could count each ragged breath and feel every thunderous beat of her heart in the very depths of her soul. In another way, the pain shut her down. Melody wanted nothing more than to just crumple in a heap on the ground. She could hardly focus on anything other than the pain and what it was doing to her body.

Still, she forced herself to continue.

They had been triumphant from the very beginning. First, they had survived the landing. That in itself was a miracle. Then, they had found Mount Weather. And although they hadn't actually managed to get inside the shelter, they had still located it. Clarke had brought Jasper back from the brink of death. Melody had gotten in a fight with Murphy and won. Finn had gotten the girl, not that there was much competition. Octavia and Melody had found themselves in a tentative friendship. They had come too far to give up now.

"Should we split up?" Clarke sounded just as breathless as Melody felt, which made the latter feel just a bit better about her exhaustion. 

"Yeah." Finn didn’t pause in his running, but he turned his gaze to look between the two of them. It was impressive, considering the fact that he managed to somehow not lose his footing. "You guys go left. I'll go right. We'll meet at the bottom."

Melody and Clarke nodded their agreement and veered off towards the left. They had been running steadily downhill for a while now. It was easier than anything else, but it required more attention and balance than running on flat land. One wrong move and they would go tumbling down the hill, probably breaking their necks but at the very least slowing them down even further. And that was the last thing any of them needed at the moment.

"Are you sure this is where it landed?" Panted Melody as she turned her gaze towards Clarke for just a moment. Not long enough to really see her, because Melody didn’t trust herself enough not to trip and fall to her death. 

The blonde gave a curt nod and picked up her pace slightly. "Positive. We saw it come down." Melody had no reason not to believe Clarke, so she nodded her head once and kept her eyes peeled, following suit.

 _I really need to start doing laps around camp or something. This is crazy._ Melody thought to herself, noting that even her inner monologue sounded winded. _Kudos to people who do this shit for fun._

That last thought had barely crossed her mind when they came upon a clearing. The incline stopped and flattened out so abruptly that Melody stumbled slightly near the end and almost lost her footing. Luckily, Clarke was there to grip her shoulder and straighten her out, or else Melody surely would have collapsed into a heap at the bottom of the hill.   
Clarke seemed to always be there to “straighten her out.”

They stopped for a moments’ rest, and Melody took advantage of the fact. Bracing her palms on her thighs, Melody bent over and struggled to catch her breath. Each inhale was like wildfire coursing through her chest, and each exhale was a ragged gasp. If this was what being in shape felt like, she would gladly refrain. Then again, if she was having this much trouble running for such a short amount of time, she would never be able to outrun a grounder. She really needed to beef up a bit.

"Clarke, leave me for grounder bait." Melody dropped to her knees dramatically, head bowed as she finally gave in to her aching body's wishes. The relief was immediate, and she didn’t know how she would ever get up again when laying down felt this good. 

Melody didn't have to be watching Clarke to know that the other girl was rolling her eyes in a mixture of exasperation and amusement, something she did often. "Melody stop with the theatrics. It can't be…whoa."

There were a few beats of silence where Melody waited for Clarke to elaborate on her ‘whoa.’ When the latter failed to do so, Mel cast a confused glance towards the blonde.   
Clarke was lost in her own world, staring across the clearing with wide eyes and a delighted smile. Melody slowly dragged her gaze in that direction and immediately gasped as her eyes took in the crashed cargo pod, sitting in a spaceship-sized crater with smoke rolling off of it in waves. 

They'd found it.

Melody had barely climbed to her feet in the time it took Clarke to reach the pod. Protectiveness surged throughout Melody, prompting her to jog -yes, more jogging- across the clearing and to Clarke's side. There was no telling whether the person from the Ark was friend or foe. There was only one pod, which had made Melody suspicious from the very beginning. Curbing her inner mama bear was not in the best interest of anyone as far as she was concerned. Melody was always overly-cautious, in an attempt to look out for the rest of them. Clarke was too trusting. She would greet an armed guardsmen with open arms. And then take a bullet in the head if they weren't careful.

After all, Bellamy had impersonated a member of the guard; how hard could it really be?

As expected, Clarke forced her way into the pod with no concern about who or what might be waiting for her. Melody waited, leaning anxious against the metal contraption with both her arms and legs crossed, foot tapping impatiently against the ground. When Clarke called out to her that everything was fine, Melody relaxed, but only slightly. Her gaze flickered towards the front of the pod, and she waited curiously for whoever was inside to come out and join the world of the living.

Eventually, the newcomer did manage to make their way out. 

Melody took one look at the girl and realized that she wasn’t a threat. At least not an immediate threat. In fact, she looked just like the rest of them. She couldn’t have been much older than Melody or Clarke, although she carried herself in a way that suggested she was aged beyond her years. The girl was pretty, with raven-colored hair and deeply-tanned skin and the most beautiful smile on her face.

Like the rest of them, she was in awe at the world they were now a part of.

Melody flashed a grin and waggled her fingers in a wave. "Welcome home.” 

She had the pleasure of watching as the girl took her first steps on Earth. Was this how they had all looked? So rapt and radiant, as if they were on top of the world. The feeling of adrenaline in her veins was all too easy for Melody to recall, but it wasn’t the reaction that Earth inspired in her anymore. The “wow factor” had long ago been replaced by the reality of the world. Sometimes, she wished she was still seeing things for the first time. Ignorance was bliss. 

"I dreamed it would smell like this." Whispered the girl, her dark eyes wide. 

She stepped shakily into the center of the field. Arms outstretched, she turned in a slow circle and breathed in the lovely scent that was Earth. It was sweet and fresh, with earthy undertones that combined together to create something that was heaven to the senses. She was still savoring the scent when the droplets started to fall from the sky. It was just a light mist, but it caused the girl's eyes to widen in pure, childlike delight.

"Is this rain?" She looked eagerly between Melody and Clarke.

Clarke nodded, unable to keep the grin from her face as they gauged the girl’s reactions to things that had become practically mundane to them. "Welcome home." She echoed Melody's earlier words and then the three of them fell into a comfortable silence. 

They were all so wrapped up in the girl's first experience with Earth, that first blissful moment when everything in the world just seemed so right, that none of them saw Finn appear at the other side of the clearing. It wasn't until he was running at them, the sound of his boots squelching in the wet grass and mud, that Melody and Clarke looked up. Just when Melody was about to call out to him, he shouted out to her.

"Raven!"

There was no denying the amazement and affection and total familiarity in Finn's voice as he called out to her. At the sound of the name being called, the girl’s head whipped to the side and her eyes widened slightly. The grin on Finn's face was the biggest Melody could ever remember seeing. The doom and gloom vibe he gave off most of the time was replaced, only this grin wasn't for them; it was for _her._

"Finn!" The girl, Raven, launched herself into his arms. 

Understanding dawned on Melody and Clarke at the same time. Finn and Raven stood there, lost in their own little world, embracing and gazing longingly into each other’s’ eyes.   
There was no questioning whether or not they’d known each other before coming down to Earth. And from the look of things, they had known each other quite well.

Those suspicions were confirmed the moment Raven wrapped her arms around Finn's neck and pulled him down to her. Their lips met in what looked like desperate attack for affection, and Melody could feel Clarke tense by her side. She shifted towards Clarke, wanting to reach out and make sure that the girl was okay. But Melody couldn't bring herself to do so; this wasn't something she really understood.

Melody was quickly growing impatient with the reunited couple. The look on Clarke's face made her want to reach out and strangle Finn and Raven, although she didn’t even know the latter. Melody was working on controlling her temper, though, so she just stayed silent and watched the two, letting them enjoy their reunion. They were clearly not bothered by the fact that Clarke seemed to be crumbling more and more with each passing second. Perhaps they couldn't see it, but Melody could. Clarke tried to put on a brave face, like always, but Melody knew that the other girl was hurting. She had seen the way Clarke was with Finn. The way he was with her, like two people who were meant to be together.

Suddenly, selfishly, she wished it had been anyone else on that ship.

"How did you get here?" When they finally broke apart, Finn gazed down at Raven in amazement. Upon remembering where they were, his gaze darted anxiously between Raven and the two girls who were watching the exchange with ill-disguised discomfort.

"You know that big scrap hold, the one on K deck?" Chirped Raven excitedly. She was completely oblivious to the tension that she had brought upon their little group. 

"You built that from scrap?"

"I kind of rebuilt it. _Please_. Like that's hard.” Raven beamed at Finn, who was looking at her with a combination of astonished affection. “It just needed a couple parts and some love." 

"You're insane." Finn’s voice was soft, and full of nothing but pure love for the girl that was standing behind him. It dripped from each and every word, sickly sweet and damaging   
to the overall morale of the group. 

"I'd do more for you and worse.” Insisted Raven. “Just like you would for me."

Finn began to look uncomfortable then, and he ignored the words as if they hadn’t been said. His gaze flickered between the three girls once again, and then he was urging Raven   
to sit down. The jacket he wore was quickly wrapped around the girl’s shoulders, and Raven looked as content as a girl who’d just been reunited with her boyfriend should look. 

When Finn jogged over towards them, both girls greeted him with blank stares.

"I'm sorry." The words were meant for Clarke, but his eyes were locked on Melody's. He had the decency to at least look sheepish, but it did nothing to soften the girl’s heart. She returned the stare evenly. 

"Let's not talk about this." Clare said shortly.

"We've known each other our whole lives…" 

"Finn. Let it go.” Melody frowned over at him as the three of them walked towards Raven. “We’ve got bigger problems right now.” 

Finn didn't argue with Melody. He simply looked between the three of them uneasily once again, not knowing how to proceed. Luckily for him, the girls were smart enough to figure things out for themselves. Melody bent beside Raven and handed her a rag that she’d pulled out of the make-shift backpack. At Clarke's urging, the new girl pressed the rag against her head and applied pressure. 

"This is Clarke." Finn said, pointing to the blonde doctor. "And Melody." He continued, gesturing towards the stoic redhead. "They were on the dropship, too."

Clarke's name alone caused Raven to immediately perk up.

"Clarke?" Her eyes widened in surprise, and then a grin spread across her face. "This is all because of your mom!"

"My _mom_?" 

"This was her plan!" Explained Raven. "We were trying to come down here together. If we had waited…oh my god." The horrified look in Raven’s eyes sent chills down Melody’s spine, and she feared the worse. "We couldn't wait because the council is voting on whether or not to kill 300 people to save air."

"What!? When?"

"Today! We have to tell them you're alive."

The four of them wasted no time in running back towards the crashed cargo pod. Melody's heart soared at the thought of finally making contact with the Ark, after so many failed attempts. This was it. They were finally going to be able to save all of those people. No one had to die because they had done the impossible. They’d proven that Earth was inhabitable.

Raven reached the pod first and began to search the controls, as she was most familiar with them. After a few moments of looking she paused and then cursed. "The radio's gone. It must have gotten loose during re-entry." She cursed some more, shaking her head angrily before slamming around some loose parts on the ship’s dashboard. 

“No, this is my fault.” Clarke sighed and shook her head "Someone else got here before us."

"Bellamy." Melody pressed a hand against her forehead in exasperation. "Damn it!" She kicked at the ground, sending up a loose patch of dirt.

Clarke nodded. "We have to find him."

"Shouldn't be too hard. Let's just follow the stench of treachery." Muttered Melody.

It took no more urging from Clarke. They all began to trot back up the hill just as quickly as they had come down it. Only this time, there wasn't room for physical pain. The only pain that Melody felt was emotional. Her heart ached for all of those people that would die because of Bellamy's selfish actions. Three hundred innocent lives would be lost for no reason. Earth was inhabitable. If only they could reach the Ark…

_Mom._

The thought tore through Melody's chest like a knife. If she knew anything about how the world worked, it was that you cut out the weakest links. Melody's mother -and their whole station- lived in poverty. They were the Factory Station. They made the goods that the rest of the Ark needed. There was an abundance of them, because the Ark always needed new supplies. Three Hundred Factory Level workers was nothing. They were the most disposable out of anyone. Which meant that they would be the first to go.

This was no longer a matter of right and wrong. This was personal. By taking that radio, Bellamy had almost certainly inadvertly condemned her mother to death. In Melody’s eyes, that was almost the same as if he were the one to push the button himself. 

"Hey!"

Clarke spotted Bellamy first. 

The man walked at a leisurely pace, hands shoved in his pockets and head bent. At the sound of Clarke’s voice, his head raised, but after a quick glance in their general direction, Bellamy kept walking. The way he so casually dismissed their presence angered Clarke, prompting her to take off towards him at a run. After exchanged looks of unease, Melody and Finn picked up the pace and joined them. 

"… and I can guarantee you it won't be council members. It'll be working people. Your people!" Clarke enunciated her words with a well-placed jab to Bellamy’s chest, blue eyes spitting fire at him as her chest heaved with the emotion behind her speech. 

Melody had always known that Bellamy was from one of the working stations, but she didn’t know which one. She'd never seen him on Factory, so she could only assume that he was from Mecha. Bellamy definitely had the look of someone from Mecha; tanned skin, dark hair and eyes, a muscled body that was used to hard work. Whereas Melody looked like someone from Factory; light-skinned, fair haired with green eyes, and a body that had never known anything harder than working an assembly line.

" _Our_ people." Melody amended with a frown. Factory or Mecha, they were both part of the working class. Or they had been. And it was _their_ people, people they’d known most of their lives, who would be suffering if Bellamy didn't hand over Raven's radio.

Those blazing brown eyes glared daggers between the two girls. Bellamy crossed his arms over his chest firmly. "I don't know what you're talking about." He gave a soft huff, as if annoyed by their mere presence. As if he were the one who should be aggravated by their situation. 

When Melody looked up at him, she didn't see the same person that she'd spent the previous night with. She didn't see those gentle, kind eyes that had soothed her when Charlotte's death had been weighing on her conscious. His words no longer had that playful and daring edge that she had come to depend on. This wasn't _her_ Bellamy; this wasn't the boy she had come to tolerate and almost respect over the last few days.

This was the side of Bellamy that made Melody shake with anger. This was the power-hungry, self-serving jackass. The Rebel King that did whatever he thought needed to be done, everyone else’s thoughts and feelings be damned. 

Fueled by her anger and a sudden spike of adrenaline as the severity of the situation came crashing down on her, Melody lashed out and shoved Bellamy with all the force she could muster up. “You do know, Bellamy. You took the radio and now innocent people are going to die because of you!” 

He stumbled back a few steps, glare now trained on her and her alone. "I didn't take any radio." 

"Yes, you did!” With another shove to the chest, Melody sent him retreating once more. “We need that radio if we're going to save any of them."

"Bellamy." Interjected Clarke shortly. She stepped towards the two of them, looking torn between intervening and letting things play out. "We just want the radio. No one needs to die over this."

The words set off something inside of Bellamy, and he stepped towards Clarke menacingly. He towered over her easily, looking murderous when he growled out his response. "It's not my problem, Princess.” 

The words were cruel and inhumane. They were words that he could never take back, not even if he lived for another hundred years. It's not my problem. With those few words, he was condemning hundreds of innocent people to death. And the worst part was, he had absolutely no remorse. 

Those heartless words made Melody’s skin crawl. She, who spent all of her time trying to save any and every one that needed help, couldn’t fathom how someone could turn their back and let innocent lives be taken. And, for what? Because he selfishly didn’t want the Ark to come down to Earth? Because he wanted to play King a little while longer? 

"You _animal_." Melody threw herself at him, small fists beating furiously against his broad chest until the point that her knuckles were aching and split once more. "My people are going to die because of you!"

_My mother is going to die because of you._

Bellamy caught Melody’s body easily and held it against his, one palm splayed on the small of her back to keep her in place. The girl’s arms were pinned between their bodies, temporarily halting the assault that was doing more damage to her already-injured hands than to Bellamy. There was nothing she could do but stare at him unwaveringly, putting all of her effort into keeping her lip from quivering. 

"We can't let all of those people die, Bellamy." Clarke spoke softly in that calm, lulling voice that had soothed Melody a time or two before, when something shook her so deeply that it sent her flying off the deep end. This time, it did nothing to ease the stubborn redhead’s mind, or her body for that matter. "Just tell us where the radio is."

"And then what, Clarke?" Bellamy met the blonde’s gaze over the top of Melody’s head. His grip on her arm tightened reflexively in response to his anger, causing her to grind her teeth together. "The Ark comes down and things go back to how they were before?"

"Who cares?" Snapped Melody, throwing her fiery hair over one shoulder. "This isn’t about The Ark and what may or may not happen when they come down. You're making a conscious choice to murder those people, Bellamy! You’re a murderer!"

Melody regretted the words the moment they passed her lips. 

Bellamy's gaze darkened in that cold, sinister way that sent chills down her spine. Melody stiffened in his arms, holding her breath as she turned her gaze slowly towards his. It seemed almost as if he were undergoing a transformation before her very eyes. As if he were going from the handsome -and intensely irritating- man that she knew to something much darker, something that made fear coil up in the pit of her stomach. It was the look of a predator, of someone who would tear your throat out and enjoy every second that   
you spent bleeding out in their arms. 

"Sounds like someone else I know." The look he gave Melody made her chest tighten. 

The words were low and smooth, coming out in a soft murmur that could have been intimate and soothing under different circumstances. They had the desired effect; Melody’s mouth snapped shut and she went limp in his arms. When their eyes met again, there was a pleading light in hers that hadn’t been there before. Melody hated being reduced to someone that would lie down and cower and beg for their life, as if they didn’t have an ounce of dignity. 

They didn’t need to talk. They both knew exactly what message Melody's eyes were trying to convey.

_You promised._

Clarke and the others weren’t keyed into this silent exchange. The blonde doctor stood just a few paces behind them, watching intently with a concerned look on her face. Finn and Raven hung back, the latter tucked into Finn’s side as if that would protect her from what was going on around them. 

"What's he talking about, Mel?" Clarke looked between the two of them slowly, her voice soft and hesitant. "Who else would do something this awful?"

"Yeah, _Mel_." When Bellamy used it, the nickname came out sounding cruel and mocking. It caused Melody's stomach to churn unpleasantly, and the old familiar feeling of shame flared up inside of her. "Tell her who I know that would be okay with murder."

Melody's heart sank with every word that they spoke. A nearly inaudible sob wracked her chest, causing the small girl to shake in Bellamy’s arms with pent-up fear and anxiety.   
The last few weeks on Earth had been spent forming relationships and earning respect. She had gone out on a limb and asked for acceptance and friendship; it had been given to her. And now, Bellamy was going to destroy everything she had always wanted, on a whim. 

"Bellamy." Her voice cracked. "Please don't do this." Unshed tears glistened in her eyes, but Melody blinked them back rapidly, refusing to let a single one fall. She wouldn’t give   
Bellamy the satisfaction of watching her crumble at his feet. 

“This one’s on you, sweetheart.” His hot breath was against her ear and her neck, threatening to suffocate Melody. “I’m just the messenger.”

"Do what?" Clarke, who had been watching the scene patiently, suddenly cried out with such anger and frustration in her voice that it made Melody cringe into Bellamy's chest. "What the hell am I missing here?”

Of the two evils, Bellamy was somehow the lesser. Like he’d said; he was just the messenger. Nobody shot the messenger. It was Clarke -along with the rest of her friends- and the fear of the unknown that worried Melody. They didn’t know what she’d done. In all the weeks they’d spent together, she hadn’t confided in them. Her most well-kept secret had stayed as it was, under lock and key. She’d been afraid of rejection. Afraid of the way they would look at her if -when¬- she proved not to be who they thought she was. 

And now, her worst fear was coming true. 

"Go on, Melody. Tell her." Bellamy pushed her away from him gently, putting a few feet in between the two of them. The act was too gentle, considering the fact that he was about to single-handedly destroy everything she had built for herself on Earth.

"Bellamy, _stop_." She drew in a ragged breath, unable to stop her chest from heaving with the force of her silent sobs. "You don't have to do this." 

"Do _what_?" Each time she had to repeat herself, Clarke’s voice rose an octave. The blonde, as smart as she was, wasn’t able to piece together what Bellamy was implying.

He took it upon himself to clue her in.

"Our lovely Melody has been lying to us." Bellamy spoke loudly, as if addressing an audience rather than a single girl and a few outlying bystanders. His gaze shone with what could only be self-satisfaction as he continued. "She isn't some poor, defenseless girl that got sent to the Sky Box for unjustified reasons."

"No. _Bellamy_." Melody moved towards him, but he shoved her away.

Melody, already unsteady, managed to stumble a few steps before falling flat on her back. She hit the ground hard, but the impact wasn’t responsible for knocking the breath out of her. When she looked up at him, her eyes were filled with pain. Not pain from the fall, the pain of his betrayal. For a moment, Melody thought she saw his gaze soften. Almost as quickly as it faded, that self-servicing side of Bellamy Blake resurfaced. 

“She's a murderer, Clarke.” His voice was oddly void of any emotion, aside from the anticipation of revealing her secret. It was almost as if Bellamy had completely detached himself from what he was doing. There was an odd air of professionalism about him. “When she was thirteen years old, she killed the Ark's head doctor in cold blood. You call her a protector? She doesn’t save lives; she takes them. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but she’s been lying to you for weeks, and none of you were smart enough to realize it.”

_She doesn’t save lives. She takes them._

It felt as if suddenly her whole world was crashing down around her, and all Melody could do was watch. That familiar feeling of helplessness flooded her, seizing up her muscles and tightening her chest and making it impossible to focus on anything other than the pain. She wanted nothing more than to turn and run as far and as fast as her legs could carry her, but how did you run from what was inside of you? 

"You're lying." Clarke leveled her gaze, arms crossed tightly over her chest as she faced-off with Bellamy. “You just want to distract us from the real reason we’re all here; the   
radio.”

No matter how rough around the edges Melody might be, she was loved by almost everyone that came into contact with her, Clarke included. No one could believe that she was a murderer. Temperamental, maybe. Passionate. Relentless. But a murderer? The good doctor was fully prepared to stand up to Bellamy and deny his every word, because that’s what a good friend did. But this time, Bellamy was right.

"No, _she's_ the liar." Bellamy jerked his head in Melody’s direction. "Tell me, sweetheart, what's the difference between me killing all of these people and you killing that one? The fact that I'm not holding the knife to their throats personally?"

There were a few beats of silence as they absorbed the impact of Bellamy’s words.

"Melody?" Clarke whispered the name, her voice full of disbelief and desperation. "It’s not true, right? It _can’t_ be true.”

"Clarke…" 

What could she do? Deny it? Melody wished with all of her heart that she could do something to fix this, but there was nothing she could say that would change the past. What was done was done. Maybe if she told them all outright, in those very first days, things would be different. Maybe they would have been able to accept her for who she really was, and not who they thought she was. But she hadn’t. And they couldn’t.

When their gazes met, Clarke’s was filled with everything that Melody had never wanted to see reflected in those baby blue depths. Horror. Anger. Confusion. Repulsion. Betrayal. Each moment that Clarke's unwavering stare lingered, Melody felt more and more as if she were getting stabbed straight through the heart. The reality of Clarke's rejection was much worse than she ever could have prepared for. Melody had never felt so much like a monster as she did in that moment, when she saw herself through Clarke’s eyes.

"Yes." Breathed Melody, casting her gaze downwards. "When I was thirteen years old I killed a man…in cold blood." She hesitated, but ultimately decided to tack on the last part. In   
cold blood meant that one felt no remorse. And she hadn't felt anything but relief in the moments after Jason's death. Now and every day since she had felt the guilt, but then…then there had only been relief.

"You…you lied to me." Clarke whispered. "You pretended to be my friend."

The words cut Melody deeper than they should have. Mainly because she hadn't pretended to be anything. Even if she wanted to, Melody wasn’t a very good actress. When she felt, she felt deeply. None of it had been a lie. 

"No, Clarke. I _am_ your friend." Melody stepped forward hesitantly, aching to close the distance between the two of them. It suddenly felt more like miles than feet. 

" _No!_ " The blonde shook her head angrily, tears spilling from her eyes. "I can't be friends with a murderer, Melody. You're no better than _them_."

It was obvious that the "them" Clarke was referring to was the council. The boogeymen of the Ark, the mass murderers that wouldn’t hesitate before killing for their own selfish gain. 

Once again Melody felt something akin to the feeling of a blade being speared through her chest as Clarke's words struck a nerve. Hadn't she been trying to prove to herself that   
she wasn't like them? Hadn't she spent every waking moment trying to separate herself from those on the Ark, those who didn’t care? Melody cared about what happened on Earth; she cared about who lived and died. She cared about helping everyone that she could. She cared about making this their home, a safe haven for the human race once again.  
She'd been saying that from the beginning…but had she meant it? 

_You would have killed Murphy._ A small voice reminded her, in the back of her head. _You wouldn't have blinked. You wanted to kill him. Maybe you are like the council, and you just can’t accept it._

Shaking her head once more, Melody began to back away from Bellamy and Clarke, more for their benefit than hers. Somehow, she didn't think I'm sorry would cover this. And right now, she didn’t really trust herself not to do something crazy. They all knew what had happened to the last person who backed her into a corner, right?

There was a desperate part of Melody that wanted to explain to Clarke why she had done it. Something told her that if she could bring herself to explain, Clarke wouldn’t   
condemn her; she would understand. The shame kept her from doing it. The shame, the humiliation, the disgust; all of it combined together settled like a leaden weight on Melody’s chest. There was nothing she could do now; the damage was already done.

When Melody was a few feet away from them, Bellamy reached out. His gaze was softer now, almost regretful when he realized the full effect of his words. "Sweetheart."

"No." Melody's voice was cold and sharp, and it like a thousand knives piercing him. She continued to back away from them, from him, her eyes wet and her hands clenched into   
fists at her sides. "Stay away from me, Bellamy. Just stay away from me.” 

"Melody…we're friends." Bellamy shook his head slowly, brown eyes boring into hers in a desperate, pleading sort of way. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…I shouldn’t have…”

"You’re _sorry_ , Bellamy? You do something like this to me, and you’re _sorry_?" Melody raised her chin slightly although her lower lip trembled. "You’re not my friend, and sorry means _shit_ coming from your mouth.”

They weren’t friends. They’d never been friends. She’d tried to fool herself into believing it, but deep down she’d always known. She wasn’t meant to have friends. She was meant to be alone, always. And after what she’d done, a part of Melody thought maybe it was for the best.

Girls like her didn’t deserve happy endings. 

“Please, Melody.” He took a step forward and she took two steps backwards, needing to feel that distance between them. “I’m sorry.”

No amount of guilt that he was feeling could compare to the self-loathing that radiated from every cell in Melody's body. It seemed that no matter what she did, there was no way   
to escape her past. Even when she tried to move on, it was still there, lurking in the shadows and biding its time until it would be exposed. A million emotions flooded throughout her body; hurt, guilt, anger, shame. 

She had never hated anyone as much as she currently hated herself.

And in that moment, Melody vowed _never again_ to allow herself to be so stupid as to put her faith in the likes of Bellamy Blake.


	12. Chapter 12

feel free to follow my brand new tumblr: my-sweet-0bsessions

\- - - - - - - - - - 

 

_I can't be friends with a murderer, Melody._

The words rattled around inside of Melody's head, quiet at first but eventually morphing into a steady roar that drowned out everything else. Out of all the wounding words that had been spoken, Clarke's were the ones that had struck her the deepest and they were the ones permanently seared into Melody's memory.

_You're no better than **them.** ___

__Deep within the margins of her mind the words lashed out and struck Melody like a knife, over and over and over again. She was used to the lasting effect words could have on her mind. She was used to the gut-wrenching feeling of betrayal. It seemed that Melody's weakest defense had always been her own mind. Physical attacks she could take. Emotional attacks were a whole other story. They were the ones that left lasting damage; the kind of wounds Band-Aids couldn't fix._ _

__Upon returning to the dropship Melody had locked herself in the upper level. She refused any attempt made to comfort her, because she didn’t even know whether or not she deserved comfort after the things that had been revealed today. Despite the relentless pleas from Jasper and Monty, Melody remained curled up on the furthest side of the upper level, bent at the waist with her head resting on her knees. A metal rod had been shoved between the hatch and the handles on either side, locking it firmly into place._ _

__The situation gave Melody the oddest sense of Déjà vu. Little over a week ago she had been in the same position. She'd locked herself in the upper level and was praying for Jasper's safe recovery. Then, she had accepted the comfort that Monty and Octavia had offered. Now, she was praying for her own recovery and rejecting any and all attempts made by her friends in an effort to console her._ _

__A lot could change in a matter of days._ _

__Melody was finding that a lot could change in a matter of hours. It had taken her weeks to build this new life on Earth. Weeks to earn respect and form friendships amid their group of lawbreakers and wrongdoers. Weeks to form an unsteady -and now broken- alliance with Bellamy Blake. And it had taken her weeks to finally find her place in this crazy mess; to finally feel like she belonged._ _

__And in the blink of an eye it was all gone._ _

__Ties severed, friends lost, and what seemed to be irreversible damage done. She’d never felt more alone than she did now, surrounded on all sides by familiar faces. How could she face any of them? How could she look into their eyes and stomach the repulsion and fear that she would see there? Seeing those emotions displayed on Clarke’s face had been heart-wrenching. It had taken her breath away and left her visibly shaken. But to see them on Monty’s? On Jasper’s?_ _

__The thought was unbearable._ _

__Melody wanted nothing more than to feel angry and heartbroken over the whole situation, but all she felt was the biting blade of a double-edged sword. Naturally, she was devastated that her dirty secret had been aired out for all to see. She was terrified of being seen as somehow less than the person she had been before all of this. And yet, Melody found herself feeling almost relieved now that the truth was out there. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders, a weight she didn’t even know was holding her back until it was gone. No longer did she carry the burden of hiding Jason's death._ _

__Now, only the guilt remained._ _

__The betrayal of her supposed ally didn’t come as a shock to Melody. Everyone knew that Bellamy watched out for himself and only himself. If that meant ruining someone else in the process, it was a price he was willing to pay. The only thing that shocked Melody was the weak attempt Bellamy had made to apologize. When did Bellamy Blake ever apologize? Maybe if he made a habit of it, he would know that the words 'I'm sorry' couldn’t magically make everything vanish. They couldn’t take back the hurt and the humiliation, they couldn’t turn back time. And it was funny how those words meant less and less the more they were spoken._ _

__Somehow, something that Bellamy had said managed to infiltrate Melody's mind, despite the fact that it was currently filled almost to capacity with other spiteful words and hateful comments. His question only added to the chaos that was raging inside her head._ _

___What's the difference between me killing all of these people and you killing that one? The fact that I'm not holding the knife to their throats personally?_ _ _

__The differences between the two situations were innumerable. The first being that it was hundreds of people versus Melody's one. That didn't make what she had done excusable, but she hadn't sentenced 300 people to death for purely selfish reasons. And the fact still remained that those 300 people were innocent, whereas Jason Evans had not been. If only Bellamy knew the motives behind Melody’s actions, maybe then he would grasp the severity of the situation. Only he didn’t know. And if she had it her way, he never would._ _

__" _Melody_!" The shout was accompanied by a loud knocking sound as someone beat their fists against the metal hatch that secluded her from the rest of the world. _ _

__It took a few moments for the words to pierce through the hazy veil of thoughts that clouded Melody's mind. And then it took a few more for her to finally blink out of the trance-like state that she'd been in. Melody's jaw clenched as she heard Jasper continue to pound away at the metal separating the two of them. Didn't he know how to take a hint?_ _

__"Melody, I know you're up there!" Jasper shouted, relentlessly banging on the small door. "There's no point in trying to shut me out."_ _

__An exasperated huff escaped from between Melody's lips as she stared in the direction of all the noise. _She was_ supposed to be the one to provide comfort; not the one who needed it. Melody was the one who was supposed to shield them from all the evil in the world. It was her job to protect them and to give them hope, even if there was none to found. It was a responsibility that she had taken upon herself and vowed to take seriously, ever since the night of Charlotte’s death. Had it only been a little over twenty four hours ago? It felt like a lifetime. _ _

__It was funny how when the roles were reversed, it upset Melody to have someone looking out for her instead of the other way around._ _

__"Go away, Jasper." Her voice was hoarse, her throat rubbed raw; a result of all the crying she'd done over the last few hours._ _

___Wait, hours?_ _ _

__Melody looked out the small window in the upper level and frowned when she saw only darkness. Dusk was quickly approaching which meant that she had been locked away in the dropship for much longer than she had realized, lost within the confines of her own mind._ _

__"Melody, let me in." All of the racket he continued to make was beginning to give Melody a headache. "I'm not going to go away."_ _

__Melody knew that Jasper was serious. He’d proven himself to be persistent and stubborn when he wanted something. That was one of the many things Melody liked about him; he wasn’t a quitter. But in this instance, she wished that he would just do as he was told and not put up a fight. Melody just couldn't take any more confrontation today. Her mind would probably melt if she continued to stress out over the day's events._ _

__But what if Jasper could help? What if, by some miracle, he didn’t think of her as a murderous monster? What if he still thought of her as a friend? Maybe, just maybe, he could help shoulder the weight of the world. Maybe letting him in wouldn’t be a bad thing. Maybe it was exactly what Melody needed to do._ _

__Unless, of course, it came back to bite her in the ass._ _

__After much deliberation, Melody finally crawled towards the entrance to the second level. She gripped the metal rod and pulled it free from its confinement. Immediately the hatch flew open and Jasper was angrily climbing up the last few rungs of the ladder. When he saw Melody, his gaze softened immediately and he cautiously moved to sit beside where she had re-propped herself up against the wall._ _

__There was silence between the two of them. Melody didn't allow herself to look at Jasper for the longest time. She sat with her back propped up against the wall and her knees brushing her chest, gaze downcast. She couldn’t face him. She wasn’t brave enough to risk seeing her worst fears reflected in his gaze. Gnawing on her lower lip seemed to take all of her focus. In return, Jasper kept his own eyes forward and his fingertips drummed a steady beat against the floor._ _

__Melody didn't know where to begin, or if she even wanted to. If she tried to apologize for what she'd done, it may be the first Jasper was hearing of her crimes, and then she’d get his reaction first hand and _that_ would be the straw that broke the camel’s back. If she stayed silent, he might lash out at her for keeping it all a secret rather than confiding in him. It seemed that no matter what she said, it wouldn't be the right thing. Luckily, Melody didn't have to wonder long because Jasper was the first to break the silence._ _

__"Clarke told us what happened." He said softly, turning his head so he could look down at Melody. "About the doctor." He added, as if there might be some confusion as to what he meant. But there was no confusion; Melody knew exactly what he was getting at._ _

__"I guess she'll want me to leave." Melody replied evenly, biting down hard enough on her lower lip that the metallic taste of blood flowed into her mouth._ _

__It was only right that Melody be banished, just as Murphy had. He'd killed Charlotte. Melody had killed Jason. The two of them were like peas in a pod, both as low on the totem pole as you could get. It was best if she just left, and saved them all the trouble of deciding what to do about her. Besides, Melody didn't know if she could handle everyone looking at her the way they'd looked at Murphy; as if she were unwelcome and evil and a looming threat._ _

__The suggestion caused Jasper's eyebrows to fly up in surprise, as if that was the last thing on any of their minds. "Of course not." He shook his head firmly. "Melody, you're pardoned. We're all pardoned. You have just as much of a right to be here as the rest of us."_ _

__Melody scowled at Jasper's words. Why did he have to try and make her feel better? She was content to bask in sorrow and self-pity for the rest of her days on Earth. She deserved it. Yet here was Jasper, her very own knight in shining armor, sweeping in and making everything okay again. But this was not okay._ _

__"Jasper, I killed him." Mel spoke slowly, green gaze flickering up to meet familiar molten-brown. The sympathy and affection that shone in Jasper’s eyes made Melody turn her head away at once. Shame flared up once more. "I'm a murderer." She leaned her head back to rest against the wall, eyes tracing the patterns of the ceiling. It was oddly calming._ _

__"Mel, you're not a murderer."_ _

__"Then what am I?" Her fiery gaze snapped back towards Jasper, blazing with a mixture of emotions that Melody couldn’t contain. "Don't you understand anything, Jas? I killed a man. That doesn’t exactly make me an upstanding citizen.”_ _

__Jasper's gaze hardened considerable as he looked down at her. "You’re not the only one here that did something irreversible, Melody." It was no secret that there were others in the camp that had been imprisoned for similar offenses. None under quite the same circumstances, though. “Everyone has been forgiven for their crimes.”_ _

__Only not everyone had._ _

__Jasper just didn't get it. He'd never done anything even remotely close to killing another human being. He’d never watched the light die out of a man’s eyes, knowing that he was the one responsible for causing it. He had never felt the guilt that came along with making the decision to end another person’s life. Mel didn't need the forgiveness of the Ark, nor the forgiveness of The 100, nor the forgiveness of God himself. What she needed was her own forgiveness. She needed to finally be rid of all the guilt and the fear and the self-loathing that had been eating away at her for the better part of the last four years._ _

__But that wasn’t in the cards right now._ _

__"Jasper." Melody spoke slowly, choosing her words carefully, not sure how to further explain it to him. How did she put her thoughts into words when it was clear that no matter what she said, he would never be able to understand where she was coming from? "I got a slap on the wrist. I killed a man, and there were no real consequences. How is that right?”_ _

__"A slap on the wrist?” Jasper scowled down at her, eyebrows knitted together. “Melody, you spent years in prison. You did the time."_ _

__"No, I didn't!" Melody pushed herself to her feet in order to walk across the room. She couldn’t stand sitting there anymore, she needed to pace. She needed to do something to keep herself busy, or the feeling of confinement was going to drive her insane. "I took Jason's life. No amount of time can make up for something like that."_ _

__Jasper grew considerably quiet as Melody paced across the upper level, but the latter hardly noticed. She habitually ran a hand through her already tousled red hair, brushing the  
long locks out of her face with an impatient huff. Every fiber of her being screamed with confliction. Her past and present were colliding, making her feel like two totally different people. Given the situation, Melody didn’t know whether she was supposed to be the tough, hardened girl that she'd developed into over the years of solitude, or if she was   
supposed to revert to the weak and timid girl that she'd known in her youth. It hadn't taken much to unlock the latter part of herself, though, so maybe Melody wasn't quite as   
tough as she'd thought._ _

__Or maybe you've just been strong for too long. A small, optimistic voice whispered in the back of Melody’s mind. Everyone's got a weakness._ _

__"You knew him."_ _

__The pacing halted suddenly. Melody turned to face Jasper, who was still sitting against the wall with his hands in his lap. A curious look had come across his face as he watched her, and for some reason that worried Melody. All traces of anger left her face as confusion clouded over, the girl’s guard going up._ _

__"What?" Asked Melody, her head tilting slightly to one side._ _

__"You knew him." Repeated Jasper. "You knew the doctor. You called him Jason." He pointed out, climbing to his feet slowly._ _

__Melody blinked a few times as the truth behind his words sank in. Carelessly, she’d revealed something that she hadn’t wanted any of them to know. Something that made her crimes much more personal, and therefore much more unforgiveable. She hadn’t meant to let the small bit of information slip out, but now that she had, Melody knew Jasper would be relentless in figuring out the rest of the story. With a sigh, she leaned back against the nearest wall and watched as he approached._ _

__"I did know him." Mel shrugged easily. "So what?"_ _

__She watched Jasper carefully as he closed the distance between the two of them. He, too, leaned against the wall, one shoulder resting against the metal as he faced Melody with both arms crossed over his chest. Dark brown eyes bore into her own._ _

__"So, what did he do?"_ _

__Melody's eyes widened. "W-what do you mean?" She stumbled over her words, one hand moving to rub at the back of her neck nervously. Her face flushed, partially out of embarrassment and partially out of frustration. When would she ever learn to control these damned, fleeting emotions?_ _

__"Mel, I know you." Jasper placed one hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You're not just some killer; if anything, you're a protector. It's what you do. I know that better than anyone else. If you killed this guy, there had to be a reason for it."_ _

__"You don't know anything..." Melody pulled away from the comforting, but unwelcome gesture. It was all too much; the proximity, the softness of his voice, the way they were discussing murder as casually as the weather. The way he was trying to write off her crimes as if they were nothing more than an easily over-looked mistake._ _

__Jasper wouldn't let her leave. He reached out with both arms and grasped her by the shoulders firmly. He was stronger than Melody and he easily held her in place despite her efforts to get away. As his fingers tightened their hold, Melody had no choice but to face him. Their gazes clashed once more and Melody found herself frowning up at him._ _

__Jasper gave Melody a pointed look as he took an intentional step forward. "I know you stabbed Murphy in the leg when he tried to go after me."_ _

__Melody's frown turned into a full-blown scowl. There was no point in denying Jasper's words because they were true. Everyone knew about Melody's fight with Murphy. In a group like theirs word traveled fast._ _

__"And I watched you punch that guy who was being an asshole in the woods." Jasper reached out and gently cupped Melody's still-bruised cheek. The pain was mostly gone now, but the faint throbbing was enough of a reminder. "Not to mention the fact that you put your own life on the line more than once. For me and Charlotte both."_ _

__Memories flooded Melody's mind as Jasper brought up the selfless things she had done. It had been less than 24 hours since Charlotte's death, but it already seemed like an ancient tragedy. Time on Earth was much different than time on the Ark. There was little room for dwelling on things which was why they'd all but forgotten about the recent events._ _

__With the memories came the faint feeling of protectiveness that Melody had felt each and every time she'd put herself between the enemy and her friends. What Jasper said was true; she was a protector. It was in her nature. When she'd stabbed Murphy it was to protect Jasper. When she'd been prepared to go up against Charlotte's pursuers, it was to protect the frightened little girl that reminded Melody so much of her younger self. And when she had killed Jason, it was to protect her mother and herself.  
But it didn't change the fact that murder was murder._ _

__"Jasper…" Melody started to protest, but there wasn't anything to protest. Everything he'd said was the truth._ _

__"What did he do, Melody?" Jasper pressed, his voice firmer this time. "How did you know him?"_ _

__Melody knew that he expected an answer now. Part of her wanted to tell Jasper what had really gone down that day on the Ark. She wanted to -for the first time- confide in someone. Another part of her was too ashamed of what had happened. And in return ashamed of what she had done. Melody knew, though, that Jasper wouldn't lash out at her or laugh or react in a way that would make her regret spilling her guts._ _

__A sigh of defeat left Melody's lips as she looked up at Jasper with that seemingly permanent scowl etched onto her face. "He was my mother's boyfriend." Melody admitted softly.  
"For probably eight or nine years."_ _

__The news surprised Jasper, but then again everything out of Melody's mouth seemed to surprise him. Although his eyes widened and his eyebrows shot up, Jasper remained silent as he let Melody speak her piece. It was hard not to immediately react, but Jasper managed to control himself. He was the type of guy who listened and heard you out before drawing assumptions. And that -along with his relentless pleading- was why Melody had chosen to talk to him._ _

__The old feeling of nostalgia rendered Melody almost speechless. Her initial response when Jason was mentioned was to close up and shut down. The pain that accompanied the majority of her childhood memories had always been overwhelming, which was why she didn't enjoy talking about her life before the Sky Box. Today, Melody forced herself to power through that familiar feeling of discomfort and continue on with her story._ _

__"Jason was great to me." Melody continued in the same quiet tone. She didn't see the point in lying about anything. It would be so easy to paint a picture of the monster Jason ended up turning into, but Melody had no desire to taint his memory. He hadn't always been bad. At least not to her. "Really great, actually. He helped my mother raise me from the time I was three or four. Jason was the closest thing I ever had to a father. I adored him."_ _

__Melody found that saying the words aloud was not nearly as painful as thinking them to herself. It actually made her feel a bit better to get the words off of her chest. "Jason wasn't perfect. But he made me happy and he made my mother happy and that was all that mattered to me. Our family was a bit broken, but it was salvageable. We welcomed him in without a second thought."_ _

__Melody was getting off topic, but it was like she had a sudden case of word vomit. Once she started talking about everything it was hard to stop. The good memories and the bad memories went hand in hand. Not only was she informing Jasper, but she was reminding herself._ _

__"So this Jason guy was with your mom." Jasper summarized. "And he was really good to you." When Melody nodded in confirmation, Jasper frowned and shook his head slightly. "I'm missing a piece of the puzzle."_ _

__Melody sighed softly and nodded once more before continuing. "Jason was really good to me…at first. He was a better role model than I could have asked for. He was strong and powerful and brave. He's the one who taught me everything I know. He's the reason I'm me." That last statement had a deeper undertone than Jasper wouldn't catch. Jason was the reason Melody had turned into the person she was; a fighter._ _

__"Things changed, though." Continued Melody. "When I was about twelve I started to notice a lot more. Like how my mom always seemed to shrink into herself when Jason was around. Then I noticed the bruises that she could no longer hide from me. And I realized that there was more to Jason than what laid on the surface."_ _

__"When I was thirteen I decided to take matters into my own hands." Melody admitted with a frown as she cast her eyes downward. The next part of the story required minimal eye contact. "I was finally old enough to start working in the factory with my mother. I was still too young for anyone to recruit me for another station, so I put all of my energy into learning about mass production. I guess I figured that if I could help out, we wouldn't need Jason to provide for us anymore. And then he would leave us alone."_ _

__"But he didn't." Jasper guessed quietly._ _

__"He didn't." Confirmed Melody with a slight shake of her head. "I went to see him in his office one day to tell him that he didn't have to take care of us anymore. He didn't take it very well…"_ _

__Melody drew in a ragged breath and turned her eyes towards Jasper once more. The concern she saw on his face was enough to make Melody want to burst into tears. The fact that he was actually listening to her made Mel's heart swell with happiness and love. The urge to curl up into Jasper and hide away forever was very tempting at the moment, but  
Melody squelched that impulse immediately. Now that her backstory was out in the open, she needed Jasper to know._ _

__The boy's voice was a hushed whisper when he found the right words to say. "What did he do to you?"_ _

__Melody swallowed the lump in her throat and focused her attention on the cracks in the floor before she spoke again. "First he got angry and he yelled at me. Told me that he'd done an awful lot for me and that it was time for me to give him something in return." Jasper's sharp intake of breath told Melody that he caught the meaning behind her words._ _

__Still, she continued to explain. It was something she had to do._ _

__"When I tried to tell him that there was nothing I could do, he hit me." Remembering that day, Melody's hand fluttered upwards to gently brush her bruised cheek. The next set of words seemed stuck in her throat. It took several moments of clearing her throat before Melody could whisper the words that she'd never dared to say aloud._ _

__"And then he raped me."_ _

__

__|oOo|_ _

__

__**Jasper's POV** _ _

__Jasper Jordan had never felt anything compared to the all-consuming rage that suddenly flooded through his entire body as he looked down at the broken girl in front of him. The sight of her looking so helpless and vulnerable unleashed a side of Jasper that he'd never known was there. A side of him that was a raw and savage. A side that craved destruction and anarchy._ _

__Jasper hadn't known Melody for very long. In fact, he had known her for only a matter of weeks; during which he had spent countless days either missing or unconscious. However,  
in just those few short weeks he had come to know and care for the immensely. There was no denying the bond that had quickly formed between the two of them. It was a bond that Jasper didn't really understand, but one that he didn't question. There was just something about them that had clicked. And the rest was history._ _

__At first Jasper had seen Melody as nothing more than some scared little girl. There was this look of terror in her eyes that had tugged at his heartstrings. That was why he'd held her hand on the dropship and told her that everything was going to be okay. The ride had been rough, and through it all Jasper had found himself with this unexplainable urge to make sure Melody was alright. And then when they had landed, Jasper was so caught up in the exuberance of it all that he had -literally- swept the girl off of her feet; the boldness of his actions was very uncommon. But he'd gotten the feeling that it was something he had to do. They'd survived the landing and Jasper wanted nothing more than to  
include her in that little victory._ _

__There had never really been any question about accepting Melody into his and Monty's lives. They both just kind of knew that she belonged with them. Melody had sealed the deal when she had tagged along on the trip to Mount Weather. In just a matter of hours Melody had integrated into their lives so easily that it was strange to think she hadn't been there the whole time. Even when things got tough, Melody had been there. She had risked her life to find him and bring him back to the camp. And then she'd watched over him like his very own guardian angel. She'd stabbed a guy for him. Melody Pond -all 5'4 inches and 100 pounds of her- had gone head to head with John Murphy andwon._ _

__Jasper was amazed._ _

__In a lot of ways, Melody had been Jasper's glue. She had been the one there to hold things together. Never once had she given up on him. And in a way, she'd been Monty's glue, too. When Jasper's best friend had lost nearly all hope, Melody was there to remind him that they had to keep going. All it took was those three little words from her mouth and everything was magically better. We are Apache._ _

__Melody Pond may have killed a man, but she was no murderer._ _

__If Jasper had to describe Melody he would use the word loyal. When it came down to it, Melody would be there through thick and thin. Jasper now understood how hard it was for  
Melody to open herself up to people. He saw the fear of rejection shimmering in her eyes and it struck a chord deep inside of him._ _

__She doesn't think she's worth it._ _

__The truth of the matter dawned on him suddenly and Jasper felt sick to his stomach. Melody, the girl who tried to save them all, was the one who truly needed the saving. This was a girl who beamed at a few kind words and could be destroyed with just a few spiteful ones. She was stronger than all of them put together, but she was also weaker than any of them had realized. And with good reason._ _

__"Melody…" When Jasper spoke his voice came out strained. He didn't know what words would console her. He didn't know how to heal her broken spirit._ _

__"You don't have to tell me you're sorry, Jasper." Melody whispered, still not meeting his gaze._ _

__Jasper struggled to find the right words. "You didn't deserve it." He said slowly, shaking his head angrily. "He got what was coming to him."_ _

__"I know." Her reply was less than convincing._ _

__Jasper reached out and his arms wrapped his arms around the smaller girl's form. When he tugged Melody towards his body she came willingly. With his arms enveloping her in a protective cocoon, the girl completely crumbled. Loud sobbing filled the dropship as Melody clutched at the fabric of Jasper's shirt and buried her head in his chest. The boy's chin rested comfortable on the top of Melody's head as he held her sobbing body close to his._ _

__"Shhh." Jasper soothed, gently running his fingers through the mass of red hair that hung down Melody's back. "It's going to be okay, Melody." Silently, he added the words, I promise._ _

__Jasper didn't mind holding Melody while she cried. Although he wished he could cure her of this sadness, he just couldn't. The least he could do was make sure she didn't have to go through this alone anymore._ _

__Having the weight of something that heavy on his shoulders was not something Jasper could imagine. What Melody had gone through was nothing like the rest of the sob stories he'd heard around camp. People complained about their parents being floated or living in poverty or how they were just so misunderstood. Melody hadn't complained even once and she had to deal with all of the above and then some. She was probably the bravest person Jasper had ever met._ _

__When Melody finally regained some of her composure, she pulled away from Jasper and stared up at him with worried eyes. "Who else knows?" She wondered, sniffling as she asked the question._ _

__Jasper looked down at Melody with a frown, not wanting to say anything that would make things worse. In the end, though, he had to be honest with her. "Clarke told me and  
Monty when they got back. I'm assuming Finn knows and that new girl, Raven. Bellamy knows, too."_ _

__Melody nodded her head and Jasper was glad that he seemed to have said the right thing. It was obvious that Melody didn't want the entire camp to know about the reason for her imprisonment. Jasper could understand that. Some things were meant to be private._ _

__"I'm sure more people know. I bet Bellamy's having a hay day with this." Melody muttered as she pulled away from Jasper and began to dry her eyes._ _

__"You think he'd tell everyone?" Jasper was surprised by her assumption._ _

__Bellamy was a jerk, yeah, but Jasper didn't think he was cruel. And last he knew, Bellamy and Melody had been on good terms. The two of them had clashed in the beginning, apparently. Jasper hadn't been awake to see any of it first-hand, but Monty had eagerly filled him in. Over time though they had formed what Jasper assumed was an alliance._ _

__It was during the fight that Jasper had seen the relationship between Bellamy and Melody. When Mel had gone in for the kill, Bellamy had pulled her away. The fact that the girl just let him was the first clue. When Melody had gotten hit, Bellamy had immediately dropped everything and went running. That was the second clue. The poor guy had spent more than an hour pacing around outside of the dropship while Clarke tended to Melody. That was the third and final clue._ _

__The alliance between the two of them had been present when they'd set out to find Charlotte. Jasper didn't know what happened out there, but it seemed to bring the two of them even closer. Hell, Jasper would have thought they were borderline friends. But then Melody had gone off into the woods with Clarke and Finn and returned a whole new person._ _

__Melody laughed bitterly at Jasper's question, as if he were missing something obvious. "Why wouldn't he? He's the one that told Clarke, after all."_ _

__That bit of information was news to Jasper._ _

__"How did he even know? Did you tell him?" Jasper asked the question almost accusingly and immediately regretted it when he saw the angry look on Melody's face._ _

__"Of course not!" She snapped at him. "He already knew. He was apparently in the guard when I was arrested."_ _

__"So he knew about the killing from the beginning. And he was using it as what…leverage?" Jasper watched as Melody nodded, growing angrier as he pieced everything together aloud. "And he outed you to Clarke."_ _

__Melody's gaze lowered to the ground once more and she nodded solemnly. "Yeah."_ _

__"That bastard!"_ _

__Jasper turned away from Melody and was making his way quickly towards the ladder, fueled completely by his anger. The nerve of that guy. Bellamy had to have known what Clarke's take on this would be. After all, she was always preaching about how every life counted and how they didn't get to choose he lived or died. Bellamy knew that she would resent Melody for what she had done. And he'd outed her to save his own skin._ _

__Jasper recalled the angry way Clarke had informed him of Melody's crimes against the Ark. She'd been angry at Melody for not telling them sooner and she had been angry at herself for reacting poorly. Clarke was the kind of girl to get all worked up over something and lash out verbally. And if Jasper had to guess, that was the reason for Melody's countless hours of sobbing by herself in the upper level._ _

__Suddenly, he resented Clarke just as much as he did Bellamy._ _

__"Jasper, wait!" Melody called out as she followed behind him. "What are you going to do?" She asked anxiously as she bent beside the hatch and watched Jasper's descending  
figure._ _

__Jasper paused and looked up at Melody, still clinging to the rungs of the ladder. She looked so nervous that it puzzled him for a moment. Until he realized that she was nervous for him. Like always, Melody was worrying about others before she worried about herself. And that only made his need to defend her grow._ _

__"I'm going to give Bellamy Blake a piece of my mind." Announced Jasper._ _

__He lowered himself down the last few rungs of the ladder until he felt his feet touch the floor. Thankfully, Melody didn't object or try to follow him. Jasper turned on his heel and  
began heading for the camp with a determined look about him._ _

__Everyone was busily preparing to launch some flares that Raven had found in the cargo pod. People assembled stands for the flares and were positioning them in a straight line.  
Jasper had heard Clarke say that if they sent a signal to the Ark then they wouldn't have to kill all of those people to conserve oxygen. But that was the furthest thing from his mind at the moment._ _

__It didn't take Jasper long to spot Bellamy. He was standing with among the group of delinquents as they prepared to launch the flares. Jasper had barely made it to the group when the first flare was lit. Everyone watched in amazement as the purple-red burst of light shot for the sky. A loud, booming noise filled the air as it exploded. Several others quickly followed suit, with each of them exploding in a burst of color._ _

__They watched long after the last flare had exploded in the sky. When people finally did begin to disperse, Jasper approached Bellamy. The older male eyed him wearily and stood in a defensive position with both arms tightly crossed over his chest and a scowl plastered across his face._ _

__"What do you want, Jasper?" Bellamy asked, habitually looking around to make sure no one was going to be listening in on their conversation._ _

__"I want to know who the hell you think you are." The harsh words were out of Jasper's mouth before he could even stop them. His rather aggressive behavior was so out of character that even Bellamy raised his eyebrows in shock._ _

__"Excuse me?" Bellamy's tone was low and threatening as his eyes narrowed slightly._ _

__"I'm talking about Melody." Jasper said, as if it should have been obvious. Why else would he waste his time trying to talk to Bellamy?_ _

__"You don't know what you're talking about, Goggles." Bellamy's voice took on a darker tone as he stepped closer to Jasper._ _

__"I think I do." Countered Jasper as he refused to back down. It was the first time that he had ever stood up to their dauntless leader. Jasper doubted it would end well for him, but he knew that it was worth it. When Melody was concerned, it was always worth it._ _

__"Oh yeah?" Bellamy looked down at Jasper with a scowl. "So you're telling me you know she murdered the doctor?"_ _

__"That's exactly what I'm saying." Jasper's confident words seemed to surprise Bellamy who suddenly looked taken aback._ _

__"She told you?" Bellamy's voice changed suddenly. It was a bit softer when he spoke of Melody, which confused the hell out of Jasper. Did he honestly think they were still friends after all of this?_ _

__"Of course she did." Snapped Jasper. "She told me all of it."_ _

__Bellamy lifted his chin slightly and suddenly he looked more curious than angry. He obviously understood that Jasper knew something he didn't. And that didn't settle well with Bellamy. "What do you mean 'all of it'?" Bellamy wondered with a frown. "Melody killed the doctor when she was thirteen. End of story."_ _

__Jasper shook his head and laughed, the sound void of any and all humor. Did Bellamy really think it was as simple as that? Even he had to know that Melody Pond was anything but simple. And did he really think she just woke up one day and decided that it would be fun to kill a doctor? That was ridiculous._ _

__"Not end of story." Jasper argued, his voice much more serious than usual. "There's a reason behind why she killed the doctor."  
Bellamy stilled suddenly as the words washed over him. It seemed that he hadn't thought about the reason behind Melody's actions. He had been too absorbed in the crime itself to factor anything else into the equation._ _

__"Why?" Bellamy demanded quickly, frowning at Jasper. It was obvious that he didn't like being out of the loop._ _

__Jasper just shook his head once more and gave Bellamy a look of disbelief. "Did you really think she just murdered the guy for no reason? Have you even met Melody?" The disgust in Jasper's voice was evident and he made no attempt to hide it._ _

__"Why?" Bellamy asked again, his glower hardening as Jasper avoided the question. Being in the dark was becoming increasingly frustrating._ _

__"I mean, come on. Melody is the one who defends us. She's spent every waking minute on Earth trying to protect everyone she can. Me, Octavia, Charlotte…" Jasper trailed off and  
gave Bellamy a confused glance. "Do you think she'd do that if she was a murderer?"_ _

__"Damn it, Jasper!" Bellamy lunged forward and grabbed Jasper by the collar of his shirt. He yanked the boy forward until their faces were just inches apart. "Why did she kill him?"_ _

__Jasper paused at Bellamy's question, frowning up at him silently. It hadn't occurred to him until now that the reason behind Melody's actions were extremely personal. Jasper knew  
that she didn't want it to get around camp. Melody was ashamed of what had happened to her. He could tell by the way she'd described the whole experience. And although it wasn't his secret to share, Jasper knew that Bellamy had to know. He needed to know exactly what had happened to Melody. He needed to know just how badly he had screwed up by opening his big mouth._ _

__"The guy was like her dad, Bellamy." Jasper said lowly, not surprised by Bellamy's confused frown. "He and her mom had been together for a really long time. He practically raised Melody from the time she was a toddler."_ _

__"Why are you telling me this?" Bellamy wondered, shaking his head in confusion. "This has nothing to do with why she killed him."_ _

__"This has everything to do with why she killed him." Jasper finally managed to pull away from Bellamy's grip. Smoothing down his wrinkled shirt, Jasper narrowed his gaze at Bellamy before continuing. "Melody loved the guy. And apparently he was great to her, but a real dick to her mother. Beat her and stuff."_ _

__Bellamy looked surprised and slightly angry at the sudden revelation about Doctor Evans. Apparently it hadn't occurred to him that the doctor might not be totally innocent._ _

__"And that's why Melody killed him?" Assumed Bellamy. "Because he was rough with her mom?"_ _

__"He wasn't _rough_ , Bellamy. He left bruises; lots of them." Jasper said seriously. And then he shook his head sadly. "But no, that's not why she killed him."_ _

__"Then why, Jasper?" Bellamy was growing increasingly angry, but he was going to stick around for the end of the story. "I don't have time for you to give me some sob story about how Melody had it rough growing up. I want to know why she killed him."_ _

__"She stood up to him." Jasper was curt, his own impatience showing. "Tried to tell him that they didn't want him around anymore. The guy got really pissed and roughed her up. And then he…" The words seemed to get stuck in Jasper's throat._ _

__Bellamy's gaze darkened immediately. Jasper would have sworn that there was an angry and almost protective edge to his voice when he asked the next question. "What did he do to her?"_ _

__"He raped her." There was no emotion in Jasper's voice when he spoke this time. It was a complete monotone; it was empty. "And then he just tossed her away like she was nothing. Told her that he'd be home in time for dinner. Went about his merry fucking way and left Melody on the floor in his office."_ _

__There was no denying the anger in Bellamy's gaze now. There was underlying shame as well, but Jasper hardly saw it. If Jasper thought he was mad…Bellamy Blake looked absolutely murderous. He cursed loudly and slammed his fist against the nearest tree._ _

__"Damn it!" Roared Bellamy, causing several people to stare at him curiously. "I didn't know what happened to her. I just thought…" Bellamy trailed off, because even he didn't know what he thought._ _

__Jasper thought that seeing Bellamy like this would make him feel satisfied. Instead, it only fueled the hatred that burned deep inside his belly. Hatred for a man that was long since dead. And by Melody's hand, nonetheless. As if she should have to live with the guilt of the doctor's death on her shoulders on top of all the suffering he'd already caused her._ _

__"You didn't think." Said Jasper boldly. "You were just trying to put the heat on someone else. And because of that, you hurt her. Bad."_ _

__Bellamy didn't even bother denying it. Instead, he just looked at Jasper seriously and shook his head slowly. "I didn't mean to hurt her."_ _

__The sincerity of his words caused Jasper to pause. It became apparent then that Bellamy Blake was actually ashamed. The guilt was tearing him up. That brought Jasper a bit of satisfaction, but not much. And the only reason he wasn't fully satisfied was because Bellamy would never feel as bad as Melody did. He would never feel the full consequence of his actions._ _

__"But you did." Jasper pointed out._ _

__"I know that." Bellamy's voice went from angry to pleading in a matter of moments. "Tell me how I can make this up to her."_ _

__Jasper's eyes widened in surprise. Bellamy Blake was actually trying to make amends. Jasper wished that he could help the guy out, but he didn't know if anything could make up for what Bellamy had done to Melody. The girl was crushed._ _

__"I don't know. She's not the forgive and forget type." Jasper admitted with a helpless little shrug._ _

__"Please, Jasper." Bellamy's voice was low and now he was flat out begging. That alone let Jasper know just how desperate he was to make things right._ _

__But why?_ _

__Jasper thought for a few moments before speaking. "She's going to crawl out of bed tomorrow and act like this whole thing never even happened. But it did. And she's going to insist that there's nothing wrong. She's a liar."_ _

__Bellamy tried to follow Jasper's words, but he only ended up confusing himself. "Okay. What does that have to do with me making it up to her?" Wondered Bellamy with a frown._ _

__Jasper sighed loudly and crossed his arms over his chest. "Everything." He said seriously, emphasizing the word to make sure Bellamy understood. When the male nodded, Jasper continued. "Melody hates feeling weak. She's not about to let you see the effect this is having on her. She's the protector, not the protectee…And that's her problem."_ _

__Bellamy nodded slowly once more. "Okay." He understood that much; Melody hadn't showed even the slightest inkling of weakness before today. "So what do I do?"_ _

__"You need to teach her how to protect herself."_ _


	13. Chapter 13

It seemed like Melody had barely even closed her eyes when she was slowly blinking awake once more, enveloped in both tranquility and silence as she lay curled up on her half of the small cot. For a few moments the world seemed to stand still around her. The birds did not chirp, the other campers didn't stir, and for just a handful of seconds Melody could almost pretend that she was the only person on the face of the Earth.

It was easy to pretend. All Melody had to do was close her eyes and simply think, I'm alone here. And then everything else would just fade into the background. Her imagination would need no convincing in order to create wild and vivid scenarios in her mind. These phantom situations would bend and contour themselves to Melody's every whim and desire. Just like that, Melody had the ability to dream while she was awake.

But that was all they were; daydreams.

Soon the sound of Jasper's steady breathing accompanied by Monty's gentle snores dragged Melody back down to Earth. For a few moments she just laid there and listened to the lulling sounds that made her feel so at home. The girl then sighed contentedly as she pulled the blankets up to her chin and allowed her eyes to flutter shut once more. There was no hope for sleep; sleep lead to darker and sinister things. All Melody wanted was a few more peaceful moments before she would be forced to face reality.

_I live in a world of fantasy, so keep your reality away from me._

Melody didn't recall where she had heard the quote, but she found it rather fitting given her current situation. Reality had never been so hard to face before. All Melody wanted to do was hide deep within the wildest depths of her imagination; but hiding was not an option.

_You're a protector. It's what you do._

Jasper's words echoed in Melody's mind. It seemed that the boy always knew the right words to say without even trying. Any time Melody even thought about escaping into her own mind, those words were there to snap her back to reality. If Melody wasn't there to protect the rest of them, who would? Once again Jasper had reminded her of her purpose and saved Melody from herself.

After confronting Bellamy, Jasper had gone back to the dropship and convinced Melody to spend the night in his tent. Although she was no longer sobbing and dwelling over things, it was obvious that Melody was in no state to be left alone. She was hurting and in dire need of a good hug. The softer side of Jasper had come out once more and he felt the need to take the girl under his wing and nurse her back to health.

And that was exactly what he did.

They'd spent the whole night talking. Melody was a bit reluctant at first, but she found that every time she talked about what had happened it made things seem a bit more bearable. It seemed that each time the story was told and re-told that mischievous sparkle in her eye gleamed brighter and brighter. And every time Jasper and Monty reassured Melody that they didn't resent her for hiding the secret, she became a bit more confident. By the end of the night, Jasper no longer saw the shell of a girl who'd hidden herself away in the dropship. He only saw the woman she'd always been.

It only seemed natural that Jasper should be the one to help Melody out in her time of need. After all, she would have -and had- done the same thing for him. While Melody had feared the revelation of what she had done to Jason would weaken their bond, it only seemed to have made it stronger.

With that thought in mind, Melody rolled over and was surprised when she found herself gazing into the warmest set of brown eyes she'd ever seen. An involuntary smile quickly spread across her face as she saw that Jasper was just waking, with glossy, sleep-filled eyes and a silly little smile in place.

"Hey." Melody's whisper was soft, so as not to wake the other boy in the tent. Monty was still snoring away happily, and Melody didn't want to disturb him.

"Hi." Jasper's voice was low and groggy as he rubbed both fists against his eyes. After blinking a few times, his gaze fell back on Melody and he gave her a small smile. "You're not a bad sight to wake up to y'know."

A breathless laugh escaped the girl and a slight red hue tinted her cheeks. The words sent a dash of pride straight to Melody's heart and then she was practically beaming. Mel definitely wasn't used to being complimented in such a way. People complimented on her strength, her smarts, her wit…but not her looks.

Melody Pond was not an ugly girl. Beneath her never-ending scowl and permanent grimace laid a reasonably cute face. And although Melody's features may have been seen as "plain" by some, there was a beautiful simplicity about her looks. Ivory skin, full lips, and high cheekbones that she had inherited from her mother. Reddish-orange hair, a straight nose, and mossy-green eyes that she had inherited from her father. The combination of her parents' features had left Melody with a unique look all her own.

"Don't get used to this." Melody warned jokingly as she pulled herself upright into a sitting position. Absently, she ran a hand through the thick mass of red hair that was sticking out every which way. "My heart belongs to another."

Jasper's gaze narrowed playfully and immediately swung in the direction of his tent-mate, who was still fast asleep. "I knew it!" Exclaimed Jasper in a mock-whisper as he pointed an accusing finger at Monty. "Thou hath stolen the heart of the fair maiden." And then he added, "Betrayed by my own brother."

Melody erupted into a fit of giggles at Jasper's words, earning her a wide grin from her companion. The thought of Monty stealing Melody's heart was so preposterous. She loved the boy deeply, but in a way that was completely innocent. Nevertheless, Melody found herself playing into Jasper's little game.

"Tis true." Agreed Melody, her voice raising an octave or two as she did her best to match Jasper's manner of speaking. It was ancient dialect, but Shakespeare's era was still remembered by the people of the Ark…barely. "My heart belongs to Montgomery Green of Farm Station." Melody's grin turned wicked as she looked back towards Jasper with a wide and innocent gaze. "I truly hope we can still be friends."

One hand flew up and clutched at his chest while the other was draped dramatically over his eyes. Jasper let out an exasperated groan as he fell backwards on the bed. "Hit right where it hurts!" Jasper exclaimed loudly, grimacing. "The old 'We can still be friends' bit. Oldest line in the book."

"I thought the oldest line in the book was, 'It's not you, it's me.'" Melody argued, smirking down at the boy's crumpled form.

"You're right. That one's the worst." Jasper agreed immediately, nodding his head as he pulled his arm away to look up at Melody. "Please don't say that." He begged with a disgusted frown. "It might cause me physical pain."

"Hmm. Noted." The impish reply was accompanied by a wicked grin as Melody finally kicked the blankets away and forced herself to climb out of bed.

The boys' tent was a bit smaller than the one she shared with Octavia, but it was set up in a similar manner. The tent was divided by an invisible line down the middle. Each side held one cot and -much like Melody's tent- a small, hand-crafted table for what little personal possessions they may have. It was rather simple, but it was really all anyone needed down here.

Melody walked towards Jasper's table and began rummaging through the clothing there to find something suitable. It took a few moments for her to find a slightly-large jacket that looked like it was the cleanest amongst the boy's things. Doing laundry wasn't exactly a luxury on Earth, so they had to make do with what they had. Well, the boys did anyways; Melody just kind of took from them when she needed to.

As Melody shrugged into the jacket and began to roll up the sleeves, she heard Jasper climb out of the bed they'd been -not easily- sharing. Turning her head slightly, Melody watched as the boy rolled up the blankets and carelessly tossed them into the center of the bed. Then, he flopped back onto it and threw a pillow at Monty's head in an attempt to wake the other boy up. A smile spread across her face as she watched him with ill-disguised humor. He moved around and did things that were so…teenage. It was nice to think that throughout all of this, they still managed to have a bit of "normalcy" in their lives.

Jasper grinned as Monty stirred and groaned irritably in his sleep. "Wake up!" He commanded, throwing another pillow in the direction of the other's face. "See our guest home." Teased Jasper, waggling his eyebrows mischievously in Melody's direction. "Home" was just across the camp and she could make it there fine.

Jasper just liked to be Jasper.

"I'm up." Mumbled Monty, as he rolled over to face Jasper with a sleepy scowl planted on his face. "Do you have to be such a jackass?"

Melody and Jasper both laughed heartily which eventually caused Monty to crack a smile as well. While the two boys teased each other back and forth, Melody quickly slipped on and laced up her boots. As nice as it was to be in the company of her two best friends, Melody knew that she had to resume business as usual. And that was exactly what she planned on doing.

As if sensing her urgency to get things moving, Monty turned his attention towards Melody. "Morning, Mels." Greeted the boy as he stifled a yawn with one hand. "Sleep well?" Monty pressed, asking the question in a clear attempt to keep Melody around a bit longer.

Melody found that she didn't have to force a smile as she nodded her head. It was then that she realized no nightmares had haunted her dreams. If she had to guess why, Melody would immediately suggest that her lack of nightmares was because of Jasper and Monty. It was hard for Melody not to feel safe whenever she was with the two of them.

"Did you?" Countered Melody as she ran a hand through her hair one final time before crossing both arms over her chest tightly. "I mean, I laid a lot of heavy stuff on you last night. I'm sorry…" She explained sheepishly, her voice tapering off at the end of her apology.

"You don't have to apologize." Monty frowned at Melody and immediately sat up to give her an almost scolding sort of look. "Never apologize. You know you can talk to us about anything."

"Yeah, Mel." Added Jasper as he walked over and gave her a wide and reassuring grin. "It's just what we do. We help our friends when they need it the most."

Melody nodded her head, having finally come to accept the fact that sometimes they would be there whether she wanted them to be or not. The corner of her mouth lifted slightly in a crooked smile as she looked up at Jasper, who had the demeanor of a concerned big brother. Without a second thought, she threw her small arms around Jasper's neck and pulled him close. In return his arms wrapped around her back and held her tightly.

Melody's voice was soft against his ear. "Thank you." The words were simple, but there was an awful lot of emotion behind them. Melody wasn't the best at explaining her feelings. But that was okay, because actions spoke louder than words. Melody's eyes turned towards Monty as she looked at him over Jasper's shoulder. "Both of you."

"Any time." Rather than having gone with the simple, 'You're welcome', Jasper had chosen his words carefully. He wanted Melody to know that he was always going to be there when she needed him to. They both were. "We love you, Mel. And don't you forget that." The words were enunciated as Jasper's arms tightened around her body ever so slightly.

Melody's heart soared at the almost bashful proclamation of love. There was only one person Melody had ever loved before now and that was her mother. To Melody, love wasn't the kind you heard about in fairy tales. It wasn't just about hugging and kissing and romanticizing every little thing; that wasn't real. It was about caring deeply for someone else. It was about protecting them and putting their needs before your own. Love wasn't about finding and adoring perfect people; it was about loving the flaws of the imperfect ones. And that was the only way to describe how Melody felt about the two boys in front of her.

It was Monty who ruined the lovey mood with his gentle and teasing reminder. "You two do realize I'm in the room right?" He called out, laughing quietly to himself from across the tent.

Melody and Jasper pulled apart at the sound of Monty's voice. He looked at the two of them with a smirk and waggled his eyebrows devilishly. Melody's eyes rolled in response to Monty's suggestive behavior and a smile spread across her face. Both she and Jasper knew that the boy was only teasing. The thought of any romantic feelings between Melody and Jasper was just out of the question. Their relationship had been strictly platonic from the very beginning. Jasper was like a brother to Melody now, and no amount of hugging or 'I love yous' was going to change that.

"You do realize you're an idiot right?" Jasper retorted with a grin in the direction of his best friend.

"Yeah, Idiot." Taunted Melody, sticking her tongue out at Monty childishly. The urge to giggle washed over Melody and she gave into it, delighting the both of them with girlish peals of laughter. Man, being immature for even just a few moments felt good.

"You're just jealous that she hugged me and not you." Insisted Jasper.

Neither one of them were prepared for Monty's response.

"And you are just jealous that you don't have what I, Montgomery of Farm Station, has." Announced Monty loudly, his grin growing and lighting up his face. "The heart of the fair maiden."

Melody and Jasper exchanged surprised looks at Monty's words. The playful words had been uttered soon after they woke, when they'd been under the assumption that Monty was succumbing to his beauty rest. For a few moments the three of them were silent as they thought of what had just been said. And then, the trio burst into fits of laughter.

"You heard us?" Cackled Melody as she bent over, forced to place her palms against her thighs for a bit of support. She was laughing so hard that tears were forming in her eyes and threatening to spill over.

"Of course I did!" Monty exclaimed. "You two aren't very good at whispering you know."

"Oh gosh. That's embarrassing." Admitted Jasper, shaking his head with a grin.

"You're embarrassed?" Melody asked, her voice shrill. "I'm the one declaring my love for Monty!"

They continued to laugh for a long while. The best thing about being teenagers was that when you got in a group, things weren't so heavy. The weight of the world was still pressing down on their shoulders, but they were able to bypass that and have a good time. Because, for some reason the three of them were able to find humor in the simplest of things. And that was a good trait to have on Earth, when things were typically so grave. Laughing was easier than crying, after all.

After reconsidering her desire to face the real world, Melody waited for both Jasper and Monty to wake up and get moving before she left. It took the boys only a short amount of time to get enough motivation to begin digging through their piles of clothing. Melody may have coaxed them with sweet words, but that didn't matter, because in the end they were up and getting ready just as the sun was rising.

Leaving the boys to get dressed, Melody exited their tent and stepped into reality. Reality was rather bright, and Melody was forced to squint against the sudden onslaught of light as dawn was finally upon them. It took a couple of moments for Melody's eyes to adjust, and once they had she looked around the camp anxiously.

Melody found that many people were beginning to exit their tents already. Daylight wasn't usually wasted considering the fact that after dark no one was allowed outside of camp. There were so few hours in the day and they were typically spent gathering wood, transporting water from the creek, and taking care of things around the camp. Not to mention the fact that there were hunting parties that were frequently sent out and there was a lot of "training" required before then. One way or another they kept busy.

Melody didn't have a specific task. She typically came and went as she pleased, helping out when she was needed and fading into the background when she wasn't. No one really asked Melody for much, though. That was the luxury of handing people their asses when they needed it; no one tried to make you mind the rules. Carson -the boy who'd rattled Jasper and Octavia outside of the walls- was still sporting a split lip and a black eye. Melody's own face was still a faint yellow-ish color although her knuckles had long since healed. Maybe that was partially the reason people left her alone; it added to that "unapproachable" vibe that she apparently gave off.

Now you're really unapproachable. Melody thought bitterly, grimacing at the thought of what people may have heard around camp.

To Melody's surprise and relief, no one seemed to be looking at her any differently than before. When she walked slowly towards the dropship several people flashed her smiles as they went about their daily business. Melody suspected they were pity smiles after her recent episode the night before. No one had missed her emotional episode. They all knew she had come into camp crying and that she had refused to see anyone. And while most of them hardly knew her, they all still made the effort to show her some support.

Even big, badass criminals didn't like to see little girls cry.

Melody hadn't intended to make her way into the dropship. In fact, she had planned on avoiding their makeshift infirmary for as long as possible. She had planned on avoiding a certain doctor for as long as possible. Clarke's words had left a wound that was still fresh, but already beginning to scab over. And Melody realized now that she couldn't just let the girl get away with the things she said. Confrontation was messy, but it was necessary.

The dropship was relatively empty when Melody walked in. Aside from Clarke there was only one patient who was just getting stitched up. The thing about knives and children was the fact that they didn't mix well. The boy could have only been fourteen or fifteen years old, with a huge gash across his leg from where someone had hit him instead of the target. The boy was taking it like a champ though, with only a slight grimace as Clarke addressed the wound.

"I'll be right with…Oh. Melody." Clarke looked up from her work and a frown immediately marred her sharp features. As those blue eyes darkened, Melody immediately felt herself tense.

"Yeah. Me." Melody said, arms crossing over her chest as she moved further into the room and settled herself into one of the hammocks. Gently, she rocked herself back and forth as she watched Clarke continue her work.

Although noticeably flustered, the young medic continued to put the finishing touches on the boy's wound. And despite Melody's intrusive gaze, Clarke didn't screw up even once. In a matter of minutes she had finished up with the boy and sent him on his merry way, after he promised to take it easy. As if that was going to happen. He was a teenage boy and the world was his playground.

It was just the two of them now, face-to-face. Clarke was standing in the center of the room, wearily watching Melody. And Mel sat in one of the strung-up hammocks with her intense gaze pin-pointed on Clarke. No words were spoken for a while as they just stared at each other, as if sizing up their opponents.

Melody had to admit that she didn't see Clarke in quite the same light anymore. While she greatly cared for the blonde doctor, Melody no longer felt as she had in the beginning. There wasn't that magnetism anymore. For the first few weeks Melody had felt drawn towards her friends by some unseen force. Jasper, Monty, Finn, Octavia, and Clarke had attracted Melody to them like a moth to a flame. It was because of their ability to accept -not reject- broken things. It was because of their ability to see beyond the flaws of the world and accept the beauty that still laid there. And now, Melody slowly felt that magnetism fade.

It was no secret that Melody admired Clarke's courage. The girl was strong and she was intelligent and she had all the traits of a good leader. There was no one that Melody would rather follow. But Clarke could also be rather close-minded and blind to her own inexperience. While Melody saw people as being complex and capable of change, Clarke allowed herself to identify them by a single error. The words 'forgive and forget' were not in Clarke's vocabulary. She did not seem capable of letting go; it didn't appear like she even wanted to. And for that, Melody detested her.

"Did you come for an apology?" Clarke wondered aloud. From her weary tone of voice, it was obvious that even if Melody sought an apology she wasn't going to get one.

Melody immediately curbed that suggestion. "I don't want an apology, Clarke." She insisted with a shake of her head. And it was the truth; I'm sorry was just something most people said to make themselves feel better. "I'm not here to beg you for forgiveness. And I'm not going to ask you to be my friend. I'm going to tell you exactly what I think and then I'm going to leave."

Surprise flicked across Clarke's face at Melody's straight-forward words. The only time Melody "spoke her mind" around Clarke was whenever someone had made her angry and Melody was laying into them. In fact, Melody and Clarke had never really spoken as friends. Only as allies working towards the same goal. This new side of Melody -the side willing to make herself known with strong words rather than strong actions- was a side that Clarke had never seen.

"Alright." Agreed Clarke with an accepting nod. "I'm willing to hear whatever you need to say to me."

"Then listen up." Melody advised boldly, not bothering to waste even a moment as she finally got the chance to voice her feelings. "First of all, the fact that you accused me of pretending to be your friend, which I wasn't, pissed me off. And then you compared me to the council. The Ark's personal assembly of Grim Reapers." The disgust that laced Melody's tone was ill-disguised as she spoke about the members of the council.

Clarke opened her mouth to object almost immediately. "You-"

"Killed a guy." Melody cut her off abruptly. "Yeah, I know."

"And I'm supposed to forgive you for that?" Clarke's voice was almost angry as she stared at Melody. Angry and hurt; two emotions that Melody knew all too well.

"It isn't your place to forgive me, Clarke. On the Ark, I didn't know you and you didn't know me. Whatever happened up there was long before we became friends." Pointed out Melody with a frown. "You either accept me or you don't."

A rush of pride shot through Melody as she found herself talking with reason and determination. It was the first time she'd had a rational conversation with...well, anyone. Melody had never been the type of girl who wanted to talk about her feelings. But with the help of Monty and Jasper, Melody realized that some things had to be said. If she wasn't honest then how could she expect honesty in return? And Melody had to admit that discussing things was a bit nicer than just attacking anyone who pissed her off.

"And if I can't accept what you've done?" Clarke asked quietly. Her voice had taken on a strange, gentle tone that Melody hadn't heard before. "Then we can't be friends?"

A frown now marred Melody's own face as she slowly shook her head. "If you can't accept all of me, then don't try to accept any of me."

"It's not that simple, Melody." Objected Clarke. "Some things just can't be overlooked."

"You seem to overlook things when it's convenient." Melody said coolly, her eyebrows raising slightly as if daring Clarke to deny it.

"What things?" Clarke was truly puzzled and defensive when she lowered her eyebrows and turned her lips downwards into a scowl.

"Betrayals." The one-word response was simple.

Clarke frowned and shook her head, still confused by Melody's vagueness. "I don't know what you're talking about, Melody."

"I'm talking about the fact that Bellamy was willing to steal that radio after you warned us the Ark was running out of oxygen." Melody's voice was sharper than intended as her anger threatened to boil over the edges of its boundaries. "And how you still look at Finn like he's God's greatest gift when he used you to pass the time before his girlfriend got down here." That one was harsh, but Melody felt that she needed to say it. Clarke had to see her double-standards.

Clarke's eyes darkened with anger and her mouth formed an "o" shape as if she were surprised or offended by Melody's words. Probably both, considering the fact that Melody had blatantly accused her of playing favorites.

"That's not fair…" Clarke's protest was weak. And Melody understood why it wasn't fair; because Clarke loved Finn and Bellamy was her co-captain. In Clarke's eyes, the two of them were too important to do anything that resulted in her seeing them as less than what they really were. Whereas Melody was just another delinquent.

"What isn't fair is how you treat me versus how you treat them." Melody wasn't going to back down on this matter. Clarke was too stubborn to see things from Melody's perspective and Melody was too proud to be silenced now. "If you don't want to be my friend, I won't blame you. But you need to get off of your high horse and realize that Earth is not the Ark. Down here we're all pretty equal. Don't let the title get to your head, [i]Princess[/i]."

Satisfied with her argument, Melody stood up and exited the dropship. A feeling of pride and accomplishment washed over the girl and she couldn't stop the wide grin that formed on her face. It was then that she realized exactly what she was doing; slaying her demons. Melody was going toe-to-toe with her past and she was kicking its sorry ass.

Melody one, Demons zero.

Caught up in the rush that accompanied Melody's discussion with Clarke, she hardly noticed the fact that Bellamy Blake was approaching her at a brisk pace. Green eyes were filled with laughter as they trailed slowly around the camp before coming to a stop on Bellamy's solemn looking face. Melody's expression sobered immediately and her defense mechanisms were in place once more. Hard eyes, a weary frown, and both arms crossed tightly over her chest.

Although she didn't want to be faced with Bellamy so soon after confronting Clarke, Melody knew that she couldn't run away from the boy. She had woken up this morning with a determination to face reality once more. And that's what she was going to do. With her chin raised proudly, Melody moved forward swiftly and met Bellamy in the middle.

"Melody." His voice was gruff as he greeted her with a rather neutral expression.

"Bellamy." Melody tried to mimic his monotone, but it was rather hard. Instead she just sounded like someone who was half-way between annoyed and vexed. "What do you want?"

The male wasn't surprised by her bluntness. Partially because that was how Melody acted all of the time, and partially because Jasper had warned him that Melody was going to come back fiercer than ever. And if Bellamy was being completely honest, he liked the more savage side of Melody Pond.

Instead of responding to her question, Bellamy just wrapped his fingers around Melody's wrist and tugged her off to the side of the dropship. Melody didn't bother to resist, because she was more than used to the way Bellamy took it upon himself to man-handle her. It was one of his many annoying habits. Another annoying habit of his was how he always ended up scolding her when they were out of the public's eye.

"I didn't do anything, Bellamy. And I'm not in the mood." Melody said immediately, not bothering to hide the annoyance in her voice this time. "So if you're here to lecture me, you've got another thing coming." The warning was serious. Melody was no longer willing to put up with being treated like a child. She was expected to act like an adult and therefore she would be given the proper amount of credibility and respect. Otherwise, she would revert to her juvenile and violence-prone ways.

Bellamy rolled his eyes and released Melody. "Calm down, tiger." He said lowly, mimicking her defensive position; cautious eyes, tight-lipped frown, and crossed arms. "I brought you here to apologize."

Melody couldn't help the unladylike snort that she uttered. "Riiiight. And you have something against public apologies?" Demanded Melody with a wide sweep of her arm towards the secluded area and the miles of forest that surrounded them on three sides. Granted there was a wall between them and the majority of the forest, but that didn't make much of a difference; seclusion was seclusion.

"No one would know why I was apologizing." Bellamy scowled at Melody and shrugged his shoulders slightly. It was as if the thought of bringing their problems into the middle of camp had never even occurred to him.

"Well let's get this over with." Melody said simply, pausing briefly to roll up the sleeves of her borrowed jacket. The material was loose on her small form, but the jacket was comfortable and it smelled good, like Jasper. The scent was clinging to Melody and it smelled of pine, green and happiness; three of Melody's favorite things.

The older male stilled suddenly and looked down at Melody with a frown. His eyes ran over her body shortly as he took in her appearance for what must have been the first time. Like any other day, Melody was dressed simply. She wore a pair of blue jeans, her black combat boots, and a black jacket over her faded tee-shirt.

"What are you wearing?" Bellamy wondered aloud, his eyes lingering on the jacket for just a moment longer than anything else.

"A jacket." Melody deadpanned, resisting the urge to roll her eyes at his nosiness.

"Where's your jacket?" The tone in which Bellamy asked the question was almost annoyed. As if he should be the one annoyed. One hand shot out and wrapped itself up within the offending article of clothing; Melody's borrowed jacket.

"In the tent." Melody scowled at Bellamy and took a step backwards, causing the male to release his grip on her clothes. "I borrowed Jasper's. It's a little big." Melody shrugged her shoulders in explanation before shoving her hands into her pockets.

"Do you need a new one?" Asked Bellamy abruptly. "There's extras in the dropship."

"Trying to buy my affections, are you?" Melody's eyebrows were raised in both amusement and surprise. Since when did Bellamy Blake care so much? "Well, it isn't going to work. Now why am I here?"

"You need a jacket that fits you properly, Melody. It's almost winter and it's going to get cold. Unless you have your own jacket you're going to freeze. Besides, you shouldn't be-"

"Aha!" Exclaimed Melody as she pointed an accusing finger in Bellamy's direction. "I knew this was a lecture."

A loud huff escaped Bellamy and it was obvious that he was trying to keep his cool. "Melody, I'm just saying-"

"No, Bellamy. I'm just saying." Melody's voice was now more serious as she frowned up at him. "You can't just flip a switch and suddenly be my friend. So say your piece and then leave me alone."

Bellamy's gaze darkened in irritation as he looked down at the much smaller girl. Melody returned his glare tit-for-tat. She wasn't just some little girl and she refused to be treated as such. If she wanted to freeze to death this winter, that was her own business. It wasn't Bellamy's place to care for her. You aren't allowed to care about someone when it conveniences you and screw them over when it doesn't.

"I'm sorry, Melody." Bellamy's voice was low and as sincere as possible. "I shouldn't have said anything about the doctor. I didn't know that he…I didn't know what he did to deserve it." The way Bellamy had to choose his words carefully clued Melody in one what he was referencing.

Melody wasn't surprised that Jasper had told Bellamy about Jason. She hadn't asked him not to, after all. And in a way, Melody was kind of glad that he'd done it. She wanted Bellamy to know just how badly he'd screwed up, but she would never have admitted to him what happened with Jason. And after everything Jasper had done for her in the last day -standing up to Bellamy, consoling her, and being her shoulder to cry on- Melody couldn't find it in her heart to be angry with him.

"Well he did deserve it. And now you know." Melody said, her voice angry although inside she was more ashamed than anything. Ashamed that something so horrible and vile had happened to her. Ashamed that she hadn't been able to stop it. Ashamed that it gave Bellamy Blake a reason to pity her. "I don't want your pity, Bellamy. So if that's why you're here-"

"I don't pity you, Melody." Bellamy's voice was loud and zealous when he cut her off. "I applaud you. You've been through hell, but you don't let jackasses like me stop you."

The words surprised Melody and caused her eyes to widen slightly. Was that…a compliment? Melody replayed the words in her head and decided it was. First Bellamy was being all worried about her jacket and now he was complimenting her? Jasper's words must have had one helluva impact.

"I want to be friends, Melody." He admitted, looking at her with the look. The gentle and kind look that had once made Melody's heart flutter. Now, it only made her skeptical. "I know I've been a dick lately, but I wasn't just pretending to be your friend. I'm going to try and make it up to you…by buying your affections."

Bellamy's serious look faded slightly and a smile formed on his face as he echoed Melody's earlier words. His eyes were bright with mischief and Bellamy wore the wickedest grin that Melody had ever seen. Before she could even contemplate what any of it might mean, Bellamy was reaching behind him and pulling off whatever he'd strapped to his back.

Melody's green eyes lit up with interest when Bellamy presented the hand-crafted recurve bow. It was a light color, and Melody instantly recognized it as made from the redwood trees that surrounded the camp. The design was rather simple; the upper and lower parts of the bow curved outwards and then towards each other, leaving a small indentation in the middle. That was where you gripped the bow. The shape of the bow reminded Melody of a lazy and exaggerated "w." The string was drawn taut, with just enough slack so that it could be pulled back and loaded with one of the metal-tipped arrows Bellamy had produced from inside his jacket. Engraved on the "handle" was a four letter word; Pond.

The bow and the arrows -along with the hollowed out piece of wood that was made into a sheath- were all made by hand. There was no other explanation. It wasn't like they had been equipped with weapons before being sent to Earth. Somehow the bow managed to be perfectly smooth and proportioned despite the fact that it was a tree just the day before. And the arrows were perfect; thin but not too thin, heavy but not too heavy, and crafted skillfully enough to strike an enemy with pin-point accuracy. The sheath was a hollowed out piece of firewood with the strap of a seatbelt attached to it, so it could be slung over one shoulder.

In short, everything was perfect.

"You made this?" Asked Melody, awestruck.

"Do you like it?" Bellamy looked a bit worried, as if he thought she might reject the gift.

"Are you kidding?" Melody from the bow in her hands to Bellamy, and then back to the bow. It was an amazing and unexpected treat. "It's beautiful."

 _He can buy my affections any time_ , thought Melody to herself.

Relief washed over Bellamy's face and he nodded his head happily. "Good. I was thinking this afternoon I could show you-"

"No." Melody cut Bellamy off mid-sentence and shook her head.

"No?" His eyebrows were raised in surprise. "But you don't know how to use it."

"I'll figure it out." Melody insisted softly, not able to stop herself from smiling down at the bow and arrows. It was such an amazing gift and Melody truly appreciated it. It didn't change what he'd done, but it did soften the blow a little bit...a [i]very[/i] little bit.

"Alright." Allowed Bellamy, shrugging his shoulders slightly. "You know where to find me if you need help. No use against a grounder if you can't work it."

"Thanks, Bellamy." Melody slung the sheath and arrows over her shoulder as she spoke. "But I think I can protect myself."

|oOo|

It was mid-afternoon when Melody finally decided to test out her new bow.

After showing it off to a grumpy Jasper and an excited Monty, Melody had tucked the bow into her tent and hidden it well. A bow was a valuable weapon to have and some of the campers were known to have sticky fingers. And some of them were just mean. Envy could cause people to do horrible things, like toss amazing bows into deadly campfires. And although she gave everyone the benefit of the doubt, Melody would hate to have all of Bellamy's hard work go down the drain.

Now enveloped in the seclusion of the forest near their "graveyard", Melody decided it would be fun to test out the new weapon. She had to remind herself over and over again that a weapon was not a toy; it was not for playing with. It was supposed to be for protecting herself and -if she could ever get the hand of it- hunting. But hey, it was her bow and she made the rules, so she could bend them.

Standing about thirty or forty yards away from a tall, thick tree, Melody slid an arrow out of the sheath. The arrow's weight was unfamiliar in her palm, so Melody held it for a few moments and attempted to get used to the feeling. Hopefully in the future she wouldn't need so much preparation, but this was only her first time. Melody wanted to take it slow and savor every moment.

Once she'd gotten used to the feel of the arrow, Melody slowly lifted the bow until it was perpendicular with her target. Being left-handed, she was forced to hold the bow in her opposite hand, with her right hip pointed in the direction of the target. A slow smile spread across Melody's face when she lowered the bow once more and loaded the arrow onto the string. Once the arrow was in place, Melody lifted the bow again until it was in line with her shoulders.

One eye slipped closed as Melody looked at the target in front of her. Locking in on the exact point that she wanted to hit, Melody took a deep breath and drew the string back. Each moment brought the arrow closer and closer to Melody's cheek. Once the bow was pushing into her palm and the string was drawn as much as possible, Melody took a deep breath. Then, she let the arrow fly forward.

The wooden arrow was quick and efficient as it sliced through the air, but the shot had been horrible inaccurate. Rather than hitting the base of the tree as intended, the arrow flew off into the woods beside it. The sound of the arrow falling to the forest floor was audible even from where Melody was standing.

"Damn it!" Mel cursed loudly as she ran forward to retrieve the arrow gone astray. After a few moments of digging around in the forest floor, Melody produced the arrow. The metal tip had embedded itself deep within the soil and she had to pull it free.

Melody was glad that the arrows were sturdy and solid. Bellamy really seemed to know what he was doing when it came to crafting the bow and arrows. Melody wasn't sure how he knew what he was doing, considering the fact that their only weapons on the Ark were guns. Nevertheless, she was glad the boy was useful for something other than destroying her life.

 _Ease up, Melody_ , she scolded herself light in her mind while walking back towards her starting point. _He did go through all the trouble to make you this bow. Maybe he's turning over a new leaf._

Melody was grateful for the gift, but she was still angry with Bellamy. Actually, she was both angry and thankful. Angry that he had revealed her deepest and darkest secret, but thankful for the fact that he'd forced Melody to confront her demons. Without Bellamy's help, Melody never would have been able to start forgiving herself for what she'd done to Jason Evans. But without Bellamy's big mouth, she never would have had to forgive herself in the first place. Melody was torn between wanting to strangle him and wanting to thank him.

_Practice what you preach. You're the one that told Clarke to get off of her high horse. Maybe you should get off of yours._

Melody hadn't thought of herself as being on a "high horse" before. But as she thought about it now, she realized that maybe she did act a bit conceited where Bellamy was concerned. Melody spent so much of her time angry at Bellamy for declaring himself as their superior leader that she had treated him as if he were below her. Melody had acted as if she were waiting for someone better to come along and lead them properly. And nobody -not even Bellamy Blake- deserved to be treated like they were disposable.

Melody decided in that moment that she would forgive Bellamy. Not only had he apologized, but he had given her a gift to show how sorry he was. And coming from Bellamy, the guy who cared only about himself, that was a big step. So maybe Melody could take a big step of her own and decide to let the past rest where it belonged; in the past. There had to be a first time for everything, right?

"Okay, gotta focus." Melody scolded herself with a scowl as she faced her target once more. Now was not the time to have her thoughts running rampant.

It took five more shots before one of her arrows lodged itself into the trunk of the tree. There was enough power behind each shot, but Melody's aim was not very good. Just when she thought she had lined up the perfect shot, the arrow turned slightly and threw everything off track. Just when Melody was thinking she might have to ask for help, one of the arrows stuck. Sure, she didn't hit her target, but she did hit the tree.

It was a start.

Melody spent the whole afternoon shooting her bow. As time went on, Melody improved a bit. But there was obviously something missing, because she was almost never able to hit the tree. The majority of the day was wasted by Melody having to run back and forth between the place where she shot and the crazy places her arrows ended up. The arrows ended up in the ground, in other trees, one time her arrow just kind of fell to the ground….Mel needed a bit more practice.

The sun had already gone down by the time Melody decided she was finished for the day, with little to no progress achieved. The only reason Melody decided to call it quits was because she could no longer see the tree in front of her. There was always the option of getting a torch, but Melody was exhausted and her arms were sore.

The trek back to camp was short.

When Melody arrived, there was a small group gathered in the center of the campsite. Bellamy was in the middle of the group, barking orders at several others who were with him. Melody noticed that amongst the group were two familiar faces; Finn and Jasper. Worry immediately coursed through her body and Melody picked up the pace.

She was just reaching the crowd as it dispersed. The handful of campers were quickly heading towards where the extra weapons and supplies were kept. Melody's heart sank as she faced Bellamy, who looked angry but also kind of worried. The worst thoughts were running through her mind as she tried to think of what could have happened in the few hours she'd been training with her bow.

"Hey." Melody was a bit breathless from the half-run half-jog she'd done in order to reach him. "What's going on?"

Bellamy stared at Melody for a few minutes, his face hard and unreadable. Gone was the playful and happy boy who had proudly presented Melody with her bow. In his place was Bellamy, the leader, who hard to remain strong in front of everybody. Melody's frown only intensified as she looked at Bellamy, who remained silent.

"Bellamy." She urged anxiously, her voice raising slightly with worry. "What happened?"

His dark brown eyes raked over Melody's face once more before shifting slightly to her shoulder. Melody's gaze followed his, landing on the bow that was tucked neatly into the sheath, right beside its arrows. Her heart was hammering when she pulled the bow out once more, looking up at him curiously. Melody's other hand went behind her back and retrieved an arrow, before loading it onto the lowered bow's string. That seemed to have been the right thing to do, because Bellamy's gaze snapped towards her eyes and he finally spoke.

"I hope you've learned how to use that thing." Bellamy's voice was grave as he frowned at Melody. "Octavia's missing."


	14. Chapter 14

The vacant tent had never felt more cold and unwelcoming than it did in the wake of Octavia's disappearance.

Melody sat on the edge of her makeshift bed, eyes fixated upon the untouched pile of bedding that belonged to her tent-mate. Each blanket was perfectly folded and lain in the middle of Octavia's cot. A single pillow resided at the head, and near the foot of the bed was a pair of jeans and Octavia's old, scuffed up sneakers. A red hair ribbon was laying on top of the folded piles of clothing.

It appeared that the tent had remained completely untouched overnight.

There was a feeling of dread deep within Melody's stomach as she thought about Octavia and what might have happened to her. The first explanation that popped into Melody's head was the simplest; _grounders_. The savage group was an unpredictable and ever-looming threat. It would have been all too easy for them to capture Octavia. And it would have been even easier for them to kill her.

The second and more optimistic explanation was that Octavia had simply gotten lost. Although it was forbidden to leave camp after dark, Octavia had never been one to follow the rules. More nights than not she would sneak into camp long after everyone else had fallen asleep and crawl into bed as if she'd been there the whole time. Melody knew the truth, though. Octavia spent the majority of her time chasing the many mysteries that plagued the Earth. Once, the girl had confided in Melody and admitted that she especially cared for the butterflies that flocked in a field near camp.

Death by butterflies; it didn't sound likely.

A few weeks ago, Melody wouldn't have jumped at the chance to find Octavia Blake. In fact, she probably wouldn't have cared if the girl ever returned. As horrible as it was, during those first few days Melody had more often than not found herself wishing that Octavia Blake was out of the picture. Not only had the girl stolen Jasper's affections, but she had unknowingly put him in harm's way; twice. Melody would have been glad to see her go.

But now, things were different.

Melody had not only grown to tolerate Octavia's company, but she had also grown to enjoy it. She found herself looking forward to the few minutes they spent alone together rather than dreading them. Mel discovered that not only was Octavia funny, but she was intelligent and passionate as well. Like Melody, Octavia was willing to stand up for what she believed in and voice her opinion no matter what the outcome. Octavia was strong and courageous and although she'd been through hell growing up, she'd come out on top; Octavia and Melody were like two peas in a pod.

"We'll find you, Octavia." Whispered Melody softly as she moved forward and picked up the red ribbon. Melody rubbed the piece of material between her index finger and thumb a few times before getting an idea.

Melody bent over and flipped all of her hair downwards. In this position, the mass of red hair dangled in front of her face and reached nearly to her knees. With one hand, Melody gathered her hair and gripped it tightly. With the other, she began to smooth all of the stray pieces into what would become a ponytail. When she straightened up once more, the hair was piled neatly on the top of her head and secured by the crimson colored ribbon. A few loose pieces of orange hair framed her face, but the majority of it was pulled back in a sleek ponytail.

_For luck,_ she told herself silently, with a grave face.

Melody was just emerging from her tent when the small search party marched by, all of them solemn faced and serious. In the lead was Bellamy, looking as grave as ever while he carried a torch in one hand and kept the other on his hip, near the tomahawk that he carried with him at all times. The other campers were similarly armed, with whatever knives and spears they'd been able to make with the wreckage from the dropship.

Bellamy's brown eyes fell upon Melody and they widened slightly in surprise. As the others continued to move forward, Bellamy broke away from the group and slowly began walking in Melody's direction. Letting the tent flap fall shut behind her, Melody bent down and quickly zipped it closed. When she got to her feet once more, there was Bellamy was standing directly in front of her, looking down upon the girl with interest.

Melody asked, "Are we ready?"

"Just about." Replied Bellamy with a curt nod. "Are you ready?" His voice was lower, softer, and Melody knew what implications laid within the words.

"I'm fine." Melody insisted shortly. "I've got my bow," she turned around to show him the weapon that was currently slung over her shoulder. Melody found that the only way to transport the bow was to slip it over her head so that the bow was pressed up against her back and the string was crossed diagonally over her chest. "And my arrows." She emphasized her words by gently rattling the sheath which she carried like she would an off-the-shoulder bag. "And a good luck charm." Melody added, bringing Bellamy's attention to the ribbon in her hair.

Bellamy nodded his head slowly, lips pursed as he looked over Melody. His dark eyes left no inch of her uninspected. Just when Melody felt his gaze was lingering a bit too long, a slow smirk spread across Bellamy's face and his eyes lifted towards hers once more.

"What?" Melody was immediately defensive as her hands fluttered upwards, towards her hair. She gently ran her fingers down the length of her ponytail before scowling at Bellamy. "You don't like it." The words weren't a question; they were an assumption.

"No, it's not that." Bellamy assured her, shaking his head once in amusement. "You just look so…" His voice slowly trailed off as he looked at her once more, not able to stop himself from smirking once more.

"So what?" A small frown found its way onto Melody's face as she crossed her arms protectively over her chest. Bellamy's words gave no insight to whether he liked or disliked her change in appearance, which left Melody feeling helpless and unsure.

"Different." Bellamy said finally, nodding his head in approval. "Good different." He added, as an afterthought.

"Oh." Melody was surprised by his words. How different could she really look? Sure, she'd done up her hair. And she was currently armed to the teeth like a woman at war. But other than that, she looked the same as ever.

"Yeah."

The two of them stood there looking at each other for a few moments, neither one sure what to say next. Melody wasn't used to receiving compliments, as was proven when Jasper had said nice things to her this morning. Melody's first instinct was to laugh or brush it off or turn it into a joke, but she knew that Bellamy didn't just give out compliments. So, she remained silent and prayed that he wouldn't open his mouth again.

Melody's prayers were answered when Bellamy's name was called. As if remembering what situation they were in, Bellamy immediately sobered and walked away from Melody without another word. A sigh of relief escaped from between Melody's lips as she slowly followed after him. A nice Bellamy was an unsettling Bellamy.

Awkward silence averted.

Melody walked the last few feet to join the group that was slowly forming. At first, Melody didn't understand why everyone was talking excitedly amongst themselves. It wasn't until she heard the words 'It's so beautiful' that Melody's attention shifted from the group to the sky, where it looked like a million shimmering lights were raining down from space.

At first, Melody thought it might be a meteor shower. It kind of looked like the pictures she had seen in the books on the Ark. But there was something off about it; something she couldn't quite put her finger on. It wasn't until Raven spoke that Melody understood what they were seeing.

"They didn't work." Raven said quietly, staring up at the sky. "They didn't see the flares."

"A meteor shower tells you that?" Questioned Bellamy.

"It's not a meteor shower; it's a funeral."

For the first time, Melody noticed Clarke. "Hundreds of bodies being returned to the Earth from The Ark. This is what it looks like from the other side." Explained the blonde doctor with a frown as she looked at Bellamy.

There was a few moments of silence before Raven's voice was raising and she was lunging for Bellamy. "This is all because of you!"

As the black-haired girl sprung forward, so did Melody, although Melody's movements were much more subtle than Raven's. Bellamy hardly even noticed when the small girl crept up to his side and stood there defensively, with her arms bared across her chest as usual. Melody's green eyes stared Raven down as the other girl was pulled backwards, away from them. The protective side of Melody was making an appearance once more, but this time it was for Bellamy rather than against him. At this point, Raven could either be a friend or a foe and Melody had to defend her own. And that included Bellamy Blake.

"I helped you find the radio." Bellamy pointed out, giving Raven a look that said he clearly wasn't interested in fighting with her.

"Yeah, after you jacked it from my pod and trashed it!" She snapped, not bothering to hide the irritation and disgust in her voice.

"Yeah, he knows." Clarke told Raven quietly, giving Bellamy one of his disproving looks. "Now has to live with it."

"All I know," Bellamy looked slowly between Clarke and Raven. "Is that my sister is out there and I'm going to find her."

There was a few moments of silence before Melody spoke. "You coming or what?" She looked at Finn curiously, knowing that he was their best shot at finding Octavia. He was, after all, somewhat of a tracker.

"Yeah." Finn nodded his head and then turned towards Raven and Clarke, presumably to say his goodbyes.

"Move out!" Bellamy's voice was loud and booming as he turned away and began to lead the others out of camp.

Melody followed after him, not bothering to look back. She hadn't said her goodbyes, but there was no need. Melody was confident that they would be back in just a matter of hours, with Octavia in tow. She would barely be gone long enough for anyone to miss her. Besides, Finn and Jasper were tagging along. They alone took up half of her current friends list.

The group was mainly quiet as they walked. A few of the boys were rowdy and excited, but most of them understood the situation. They all knew that they could be setting out on a wild goose chase. Octavia's chances were slim…but no one dared to mention this aloud. Bellamy looked like he was barely able to contain himself as it was.

Melody tried to keep her thoughts positive. Whenever she began to doubt, all she had to do was reach up and touch the lucky hair ribbon that she'd taken from Octavia's things. The ribbon wasn't there by chance; Octavia almost never left it behind. Although the girl didn't wear her hair up, she'd told Melody once that the ribbon was symbolic; it was a part of her old life. A part of the old her. Octavia almost always kept it tied around her wrist or buried it within the pockets of her jacket. Melody was convinced that it was their good luck charm.

"You stood up for me." Out of nowhere, Bellamy's voice was suddenly breaking the silence that surrounded them. When Melody tilted her head upwards, she saw that he was already looking at her curiously.

"What?" Mel frowned as she looked up at Bellamy. Melody's thoughts were too absorbed in Octavia for her to be able to make sense of his unexpected words.

"With Raven. You were ready to protect me against her." Bellamy's words reminded Melody of how easily she'd stepped to his side and glared daggers at their newfound friend. The confused look on his face was actually almost comical.

"So?" Asked Melody. She shrugged one shoulder easily, as if to let him know that the whole thing really wasn't a big deal. It was just what she did; she protected people.

"So, why did you do it?" Bellamy demanded with an impatient roll of his eyes. "You're always against me. You've never been at my side." He pointed out, frowning in her direction.

"You never gave me a reason to be." Melody said simply with another lazy shrug.

"And now I have?" Wondered Bellamy, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

Melody gave him a knowing smile and gently tapped her fingers against the sheath of arrows at her side. The gift, the precious gift, had been the first unselfish thing Bellamy Blake had ever done. "And now you have."

The two of them fell silent then, because no more words were needed. Melody had just confirmed that Bellamy was forgiven. He had sincerely apologized and given her the bow, which wasn't just a gift; it was an act of friendship. And in return, Melody was giving Bellamy the benefit of the doubt. When it came down to it, she had his back. And, on Earth, that was basically a blood-binding friendship.

She just hoped she wouldn't regret it.

It wasn't long before Finn and Jasper joined the little group. When Bellamy headed towards the front of the group, the two boys replaced him with one on each side of Melody. She smiled at each of them, but didn't slow her quick pace. There wasn't any time to waste, considering they had no daylight to work with. The only light they had were from the torches, and who knew how long it would last?

Walking briskly, Finn admired the bow that was strapped to Melody's chest. "Wow, Mel. Where did you get that?" He asked curiously, reaching out to run his fingers along the weapon's edge.

"Bellamy made it." Jasper answered Finn before Melody had the chance. "Kind of an 'I'm sorry I ruined your life' gift." Explained Jasper acidly, her voice and scowl betraying his true feelings about the whole matter.

Melody elbowed Jasper sharply in the ribs with a scowl of her own. "Don't diss on my bow, Goggle Boy." She warned with a frown, feeling oddly protective over the inanimate object. "And if I can let it go, you can let it go." Mel insisted, her tone becoming softer towards the end.

"Don't hold your breath." Jasper muttered the words lowly.

Melody understood why Jasper was not willing to be as forgiving as she was. It was easy to handle your own pain, but it was agonizing to watch someone you cared about handle theirs. Melody knew the feeling of helplessness that came with watching others suffer. Eventually, Jasper would learn to forgive Bellamy for the pain he'd put their little group through. But in the meantime, he was content to silently stew and plot the King's downfall.

"It is a sick bow." Finn agreed, nodding his head as he admired it. "But are you sure about this, Melody? Trusting Bellamy?" The doubt he felt showed on his face. They'd all had ample reasons not to put their faith in their o fearless leader. And suddenly, all of those reasons swam to the surface.

"People change, Finn." Melody said with a shrug. "In case you haven't noticed, no one's perfect. We've all got our own dirty little secret." She reminded him seriously, her words long and drawn out as she stared up at Finn.

The male's gaze darkened immediately and he frowned down at Melody. "It's not the same thing, Melody."

"It isn't?" She challenged, raising her eyebrows slightly. "When you go digging up the past, people get hurt. I think we both know that."

"I didn't intentionally hurt anyone." Finn argued, shaking his head.

"Doesn't change the fact that you did."

"Raven and I have history, Melody. I can't just throw it all away because I've started something with Clarke."

"We all have history, Finn." She sighed softly and took a moment to carefully step over a fallen log in their path. "Things on Earth are different. We're different. And it's time to let go of the past and work towards our future."

"Why are you lecturing me, Melody? I'm not the one who just killed three hundred innocent people for my own gain." Finn snapped. His dark eyes were ablaze with anger as he scowled down at her.

"Oh really? You burned three months' worth of oxygen, Finn. If you hadn't gone on your little spacewalk, none of those people would have died today. They would still have had some time left."

Finn was quiet for a few moments before he spoke again. "I'm not a murderer."

Melody didn't miss the double meaning hidden within Finn's words.

It was surprising how little time it took Mel to whip the bow off of her back and have an arrow lined up with a clear shot at Finn's throat. Hard, green eyes glared daggers at the suddenly still boy as Melody's arm slowly drew back the string of her bow.

"Those are fighting words." She informed him, her voice as hard as steel. "Is that what you're looking for, Finn? A fight?"

The two of them stared at each other for what felt like hours.

"You're willing to draw on me, to shoot me, for Bellamy Blake?" Finn looked both angry and confused as he stared down at Melody, his eyes flickering between her face and the loaded arrow. If Melody wasn't mistaken, he also looked slightly guilty for having dealt such a low blow. Or perhaps that was just a bit of fear shining through his otherwise composed expression.

"I'm not defending Bellamy, Finn. I'm defending myself." Melody said firmly, her fingers flexing slightly around the bow. "I don't like that word. Murderer. We have been pardoned. Down here, we're all equal now." The words were said slowly and strongly as Melody slowly lowered her bow. "Next time you throw that word in my face, be prepared to find out that I won't be so forgiving."

By the look on Finn's face, Melody had made her point clearly.

"Alright you two." Jasper drawled, finally stepping in between the two of them. "Now isn't the time to hash out your problems. We've got to find Octavia." He looked seriously between the two of them before placing a hand on each of their shoulders. "Okay?"

Melody and Finn just looked at each other for a few moments and then nodded. Their petty drama could wait until after they got Octavia home, safe and sound. The three of them were silent then, no one wanting to say anything else that might rock the boat. It was obvious that neither one of the boys agreed with Melody's sudden infatuation with seeing the good in everybody. And Melody made it clear that she wouldn't be swayed from her decision to let bygones be bygones.

They were at a standstill.

The group walked for a long time before they saw the first sign of Octavia's disappearance. One of the boys somehow noticed it, a scrap of clothing, laying half-way down one of the steepest hills Melody had seen. The light from the torches didn't cover enough of the area to see the article of clothing properly, so it left them guessing.

"Is that Octavia's?" The boy asked curiously, leaning forward slightly to get a better look.

Melody moved forward and squinted into the night, trying to figure out if she'd ever seen the item before. From what she could tell, it was a belt. The material was dark blue, or maybe even black; Melody couldn't tell beneath the layers of dirt and grime that covered it. But there was definitely a buckle glistening when the light of the torches caught it just right.

"It might be." Melody said quietly, turning her frown towards the boy as she took a step closer to get a better look.

The grass was slippery, and the hill was steep. Melody felt herself lose her footing and she began to fall forward. Instinctively, her eyes snapped shut and Melody tensed, waiting for the impact. But it never came. At the last second, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her back towards the rest of the group. Blinking up at the boy in the lead, Melody flashed him a thankful smile and slowly unwound herself from his grip.

"Get the rope." Bellamy commanded, looking between the boy and Melody for a few moments with a frown on his face. His eyes then shifted towards the hill, and his frown only grew.

Finn was also scowling when he looked at Bellamy. "What are you doing?"

"We need the rope to get back up." Explained Bellamy slowly, as one end of the rope was suddenly thrust into his hands.

And then, Bellamy was descending down the steep hill, holding onto nothing but a thin rope that they'd brought along in case of such situations. He hurried down as quickly as possible, but it was a challenge. When he finally managed to reach the spot where the belt lay, Bellamy's breathing was heavy from the amount of effort it took just to descend the hill.

"It's hers!" He called up to them as he stared down at the bit of Octavia's clothing. Bellamy tucked it into his back pocket quickly before looking up at them. "I'm going to go all the way down." And then Bellamy began to continue downwards.

The others stood at the top of the hill for a few moments, looking around at one another nervously as they debated whether or not to follow after their brave leader. For a search and rescue team, they weren't very keen on the "rescue" part of it all. No one moved forward for a solid minute.

It was Melody and Jasper who followed after Bellamy first, breaking away from the group in unison. Jasper handed his torch to Finn and gripped the rope, before turning to look at Melody. She flashed him a confident smile and nodded her head. And then, her eyes scanned across the rest of the group for a moment before landing on Finn. They narrowed slightly and Melody's voice was just as pointed when she began to speak.

"We-"

"Are Apache." Finn said decisively, finishing her words easily. His gaze broke away from Melody's and he looked at Jasper with a small frown. "I really wish you never would have said that."

The corners of Mel's lips lifted upwards as she gripped the rope with both hands. She hadn't been going to say it. In fact, she'd been going to simply tell him that they owed it to Octavia to find her. Whatever their differences may be at the moment, they needed to come together in order to bring Octavia home.

Melody decided that she liked the sound of Finn's words much better than her own. Rather than go on with the little speech she'd prepared in her mind, Mel just smiled and let Finn's words echo in her head for a few moments.

_We are Apache._

After taking a deep breath to steady herself, Melody began to follow slowly behind Jasper as the two of them descended the hill. It hadn't looked like much from the top, but now that they were scaling the hill, she realized just how mountainous and steep it was. It took everything Melody had to not stumble forward and fall flat on her face.

They weren't even hallway down the hill when she felt a slight pull on the rope, letting her know that others had begun to follow suit. A smile spread across Melody's face and she felt the oddest sort of pride. For being a bunch of "criminals", they sure as hell didn't play the part very well. Their society had labeled them as dangerous people that threatened the Ark. Melody saw what lay beneath the surface. Perhaps they were criminals by definition, but they were also so much more. And with each passing day they continued to prove everyone on that flying hunk of metal wrong; they would amount to something.

Melody and Jasper reached the ground in no time, taking great care to not fall on their faces as the incline progressed down to the very last step. Jasper leapt the last few steps, landing in sort of a messy crouch at the base of the hill. Melody followed suit, stumbling for only a step or two before Jasper reached out and steadied her.

"Whatta bitch." Melody mumbled beneath her breath, scowling at the hill. She was breathless just from the amount of effort it took to scale the rugged mound of dirt. She couldn't even imagine what it would be like when they had to return…

"It'll be worse to climb up." Warned Jasper, echoing Melody's thoughts with a soft sigh.

"Ugh." Groaned Melody as she gently rubbed her fingers across her side, already anticipating the pain she would be in before the day was through.

Why was physical activity so strenuous?

"Stop whining and get over here."

The two of them seemed to notice Bellamy at the same time. They could see the outline of his body knelt down as he studied something in the dirt. Melody and Jasper exchanged a curious look before they began to move forward quickly. When Bellamy heard their approach, he straightened slightly and frowned, before turning his attention back towards the ground.

It was then that Melody saw what had stopped him. Splattered across the dirt was a dark-red liquid that could only have been blood. There wasn't a lot of it; just a few drops here and there. But it was enough to get Melody's heart racing and her stomach churning as horrible thoughts entered her mind. Wherever Octavia was, she was hurt and scared.

"Someone else was here."

Melody's head snapped upwards when Bellamy's voice reached her ears. Someone else? Bellamy noticed the look she was giving him, and he extended one arm to point at something in the dirt. When Melody leaned forward she realized what it was; a set of footprints. Large prints; much too large to have belonged to Octavia.

"The prints are deeper going that way." Finn pointed ahead of them, where the footprints continued on for as far as they could see. He was quiet for a few more moments before adding, "He was carrying her."

Everyone took a few moments to process the words. Octavia wasn't just missing; she had been taken. Like Melody had feared, it was the grounders. There was no other explanation. And the evidence in front of them was adding up fairly quickly. Melody's heart was beating at a thousand miles a minute as dread consumed her. If Octavia had been taken, then she was as good as dead.

"If they took her, she's alive." Jasper said quietly, giving Melody his best reassuring smile. The words did little to comfort her. "Like when they took me."

"When they took you, they strung you up as bait." Melody's voice was sharp, showing just how much panic she was truly feeling. The words 'strung you up as bait' tasted bitter on Melody's tongue. It was an expression that she truly hated, but she felt she had to use.

"Live bait." Finn added, looking between the two of them slowly.

The words only caused Melody to fear for her friend even more. Standing up, Melody briskly began to follow the tracks in the opposite direction of the boys. It wasn't long before she heard the sound of footsteps and knew they were following behind her.

And as always, Melody felt unstoppable with the three of them by her side.

The trek into grounder territory was not long, nor was it easy. They followed the trail that Finn had managed to pick up on. Their eyes stayed glued to the ground as they traced the footsteps of the grounder that had taken Octavia. The ground was soft and moist, so the footprints were neatly printed into the mud, like a map. They noted that the man had carried her for a long time. Too long. Melody wondered why he would carry Octavia's body back so far just to kill her.

_The grounders are crazy,_ Melody reminded herself sternly, when she began to question their motives. They were crazy and unpredictable.

That much was proven when they finally came upon grounder terrain.

"I don't speak grounder, but I'm pretty sure this means keep out."

Not a single person disagreed with Finn's words.

The endless amount of decaying skeletons hanging from the trees in front of them definitely seemed to say, 'Keep out.' Tied to the trunks of nearly every tree, the carcasses were obviously meant as a warning to intruders.

Melody's green eyes shifted towards Bellamy, who was staring straight ahead. There were several complaints going up among their small group as several people insisted that they weren't going any further. Melody's temper flared and she turned her head to glare at the lot of them, silently cursing them for their lack of courage.

"This shit is dangerous, Mel." A boy -Kaleb, maybe?- looked at Melody with a frown on his face. "We could get killed."

"Octavia could already have been killed."

"Well then there's nothing we can do."

Melody lunged. Jasper deflected her attack and all eyes fell onto Mel's small, wriggling form as she attempted to escape from his strong grip. Kaleb looking at her wearily, no doubt remembering how Carson had looked after a run-in with Melody. It didn't take much to set Melody off. And when someone spoke so causally about the death of her friends -or death in general, really- Melody found herself getting more worked up than usual.

"If nothing else, we could bury her. We could bring her home." Countered Melody, giving Kaleb a disbelieving look as she finally stilled in Jasper's arms. "You'd want the same thing."

The blond haired boy shook his head slightly and his frown deepened. "I wouldn't want you all risking your life for me."

"But we would." Finn interjected softly, looking between Melody and the other boy.

"It's what we do." Added Melody. "We protect our own."

"Enough." Commanded Bellamy. "Go back if you want." And then quieter, so quiet that Melody didn't even know if she heard it, he added, "My sister, my responsibility."

The amount of people that walked away caused Melody to gawk. Sheepishly, they slinked back into the forest from which they'd just came. The group went from fifteen to seven or eight easily; at least half of their members had chickened out at the last minute. They were cowards, deserters, and Melody felt angry as she stared at their retreating backsides.

But there was nothing she could do about it now.

"I'd walk into hell to find her." Proclaimed Jasper, before he followed after Bellamy.

"I think we just did." Muttered Finn.

"Brave faces, boys." Melody said quietly as she passed between the two of them. "When you dance with the devil, you don't get to pick the tune."

In other words: we're playing by their rules, now.

Melody took the torch from Finn's hand and moved forward briskly. She followed behind Bellamy, channeling her anger and fear into motivation. Melody would find Octavia, and then she might cry a bit, and then she would give Kaleb a talking to that he'd never forget.

_No, Mel. Gotta grow up._ Argued a voice inside of Melody's head.

"Adulthood is overrated." Whispered Melody to her inner monologue as she lifted her chin determinedly and marched on. "And violence is necessary."

Apparently Bellamy heard Melody's words, because he suddenly whipped around so fast that Melody barely had time to take a step back before she set him alight with her torch. Big, green eyes blinked up at Bellamy curiously as he stared down at her with hard eyes.

"Not everyone is like you, Melody."

"Obviously. Or else the world would be a better place." She retorted immediately, the words flying out of her mouth before she could think better of them.

Bellamy smiled. "For some reason you feel the need to try and save us all." Melody remained silent at his observation, which was fine because he continued on before she could have protested. "Some of us are too far gone, Melody."

_You're redeemable, Bellamy._ She thought in her head, wishing that he could see what she was beginning to see. He wasn't a bad man; he was misguided and misunderstood. An asshole, maybe, and sometimes careless...but at the end of the day, she felt that his heart was truly in the right place. 

"Live as a man. Die as a man. Become a man." Melody said simply, staring up at Bellamy. "If I die today, I die a man. If they die, they die as cowards." Whatever fate lay ahead, Melody would forever be more of a "man" than any of the boys who were hightailing it back to camp. And that was impressive, considering her rather feminine anatomy.

"You would die a woman." He corrected softly, reaching out to tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear. Melody allowed him to do so, her eyes darting swiftly between his hand and his face as the piece of hair was tamed once more.

"It's just a quote." Melody said quietly, shrugging her shoulders slightly. Man, woman; what difference did it make? It was more about honor than anything.

Bellamy's tongue flicked out and glided swiftly across his lower lip in a restless, almost nervous motion. "And if I die?" He asked quietly. "Do I die as a man, or do I die as a tyrant?"

The two of them were oblivious to the several pairs of eyes that had fallen upon them. Everyone looked on with interest, surprised to see that there was no screaming or fighting involved in their conversation. Two specific sets of eyes looked on with disapproval, but Melody was too wrapped up in the conversation to notice them.

For the first time, Melody realized that Bellamy was afraid. Not of dying -he had put himself into countless dangerous situations since she'd known him and never once had he shown any fear- but of dying as what they all thought he was; a power-hungry, self-serving jackass. He was afraid of dying and leaving behind an unfavorable legacy.

"If you die as a tyrant, then I die as a murderer." Melody was solemn.

They stared at each other then, and something sacred and secret seemed to pass between them; something no one else could see. There was a newfound fierceness in Bellamy's eyes, one that reflected everything Melody felt. Bellamy was so much more than he gave himself credit for. He was even more than she gave him credit for. Melody did not want Bellamy Blake to die as the villain; she wanted him to die as the hero. And Bellamy felt the same way; Melody Pond was the only bit of goodness on this Earth. She would be remembered for her greatness, not her mistakes.

"Are you two going to kiss, or can we get going?" Interrupted Jasper. He looked between the two of them with a look that was somewhere between unsure and horrified.

Melody's cheeks flushed and the tips of Bellamy's ears were bright red.

Needless to say, they got going.

|oOo|

The footprints vanished immediately upon entering Grounder Forest.

The whole terrain was covered with overgrown vegetation. Grass and moss and green covered everything in sight. It wasn't unlike the forest surrounding their camp. The dirt that covered the forest floor was not soft and impressionable; it was hard and barely reacted to being stepped on. Muddy footprints wouldn't have lasted a moment there. Chances of finding traces of the grounder or Octavia in an unfamiliar forest were very slim.

The sun had long ago come up and they'd ditched their torches, which were just slowing them down. The forest seemed endless. Melody wouldn't have been surprised to find out that they'd just been going in circles the whole time. Every tree looked the same. There were no distinguishing landmarks. No way to know if they were heading in the right direction or if they were wandering without a cause.

Even Finn, the amazing tracker, had to admit that they were at a loss.

"We lost the trail." He said finally, after what felt like hours of searching the area a hundred times over for something that clearly wasn't there.

There was no hesitation in Bellamy's voice when he replied. "Keep looking."

"Wandering around aimlessly isn't the way to find your sister. We should backtrack."

"I'm not going back."

It was Roma, a nice, dark-haired girl from Mecha, who noticed what they'd all been busy enough to overlook.

"Hey, where's John?"

There had been two Johns at camp. There was John, a nice guy with bright eyes and a friendly smile, whose quick reflexes had saved Melody from tumbling down the hill earlier, and then there was John Murphy. Seeing as how John Murphy had been banished from camp, there was only one person Roma could have been talking about.

"I just saw him a second ago." Said Jasper.

"Spread out." Commanded Bellamy as they began to look around for the missing boy. "He couldn't have gotten that far."

He wouldn't have gone off alone, thought Melody with a frown. He's not an idiot.

Nevertheless, she began to walk in the direction they'd just come from. Maybe John had gotten scared and tried to find his way back to camp. It didn't sound likely, but there was always the chance that he'd simply decided this rescue mission was too much to handle.

Deep down in Melody's gut was a feeling of suspicion. John was the second person to have "wandered off" now. And, like Octavia, he had what appeared to be a good head on his shoulders. The first time it seemed as if one of their own had gotten lost, she'd been taken. Was it possible that the same thing had happened to John?

Melody looked quickly from side to side, but she didn't see any signs of the grounders. Not that she knew what they looked like, of course. The closest thing Melody had seen to a grounder was the skeleton -presuming it belonged to a native- that littered the forest floor near the path to Mount Weather. Melody remembered all too well the oddly-shaped skull that Monty had stumbled across. She remembered how strange and unsettling that skeleton had been. The grounders just didn't seem quite human…

That's when something clicked.

They hadn't seen or heard the grounders that speared Jasper. At the time, they'd blamed it on not paying close enough attention to their surroundings. But now, Melody realized the truth. They hadn't seen the grounders because the grounders hadn't wanted to be seen. They had been out there silently lurking, just waiting to strike. They obviously had some method to their madness. Somehow they made themselves seem invisible.

Melody decided to voice her opinions aloud. After all, how likely was it that John had just wandered off? "Hey guys? I think-" we're missing something.

Melody watched in horror as a limp and lifeless body fell from above, landing in a messy heap right in front of her. Widened eyes stared down at John's dead body. His throat had been slit open, with blood coating his neck and torso. Stifling a gasp, Melody brought one hand to her mouth and pressed it firmly against her lips.

It was another grounder attack.

Finn and Bellamy moved closer to inspect the body. Everyone else watched from a safe distance away, except for Melody. All she could do was stand there and look down at the blood-covered body, which sat just a few inches away from her feet. Blood seemed to flow from the boy endlessly, covering himself and the ground around his body in a thick, crimson coat. The pool of blood began expanding ever so slightly, forming itself around the soles of Melody's combat boots and then further on, inching its way further away from the source.

Melody wasn't squeamish. The sight of blood didn't cause her to wretch, nor did it make her feel all dizzy and faint. The reason she continued to stare down at the blood was because it all felt so surreal. Minutes ago John had been alive and well, helping them search for Octavia. And now Melody's shoes were drenched in his hot, sticky blood. She wriggled her toes slightly, as if making sure they weren't also covered in blood, before taking a step back.

"They use the trees."

Suddenly, Melody felt stupid. Of course they used the trees. That's why they were so stealthy. It's not that she hadn't been able to see them; there was nothing to see. While Melody had been looking throughout the forest, they'd been looming overhead. It was all so unbelievably simple.

"We shouldn't have crossed the border." Said one of the guys.

"Now can we go back?" Demanded Roma.

It was Jasper's hushed whisper that caught Melody's attention. "There." He hissed, pointing to the left. His words were so filled with fear that they awoke Melody and set her senses on red-alert.

All eyes turned slowly towards where Jasper was pointing. Melody frowned when she saw what appeared to be a man running along the edge of the forest. He blended in so easily with the colors of the forest that it was only easy to see him in the clearings. Covered in mud and a variety of paints or dyes, the man had been completely camouflaged while hiding in the forest. That's why they hadn't suspected anything out of the ordinary. The grounders were stalking them, biding their time and waiting for the perfect moment to pounce.

"Another one."

Their heads swung towards the right, where another grounder was dancing among the trees in plain sight. It occurred to Melody that they weren't hiding, but they also weren't attacking. So what were they doing?

"We'd better run."

That was all the urging they needed.

Melody lurched forward, sliding slightly on the grass. The blood covering her boots made it nearly impossible for her feet to grip the ground. Cursing, Melody wiped her boots frantically against the moss, looking over both shoulders to see the grounders advancing. There was no time to unlace her boots. There was no time to do anything other than run and pray to God that she could keep herself upright. When she moved to run again, she stumbled slightly but was caught around the waist and hauled back to her feet.

"Melody, run!" Jasper's voice was in her ear as the two of them struggled forward.

_What do you think I'm doing?_ Melody thought angrily, as she once more attempted to pull herself forward.

Finally, her boots managed to make purchase and then the two of them were running forward as fast as their legs could carry them. Having taken up the rear, Melody and Jasper were the closest ones to the grounders. She tried not to let this bother her, but all Melody could imagine was another spear flying forward and impaling the both of them.

"Why the hell did you come back for me?" Melody asked accusingly, her breath coming in short pants as they upped their pace.

Jasper made a growl-like sound in the back of his throat, obviously exasperated by Melody's question. He didn't answer her, but instead focused all of his concentration on catching up to the rest of the group.

It was absolutely ridiculous. Melody shouldn't have been angry with Jasper for saving her life, but she was furious. He had been lucky enough to escape the grounders once. He didn't need to push his luck. Melody was even more furious at herself for being such an idiot. Blood was wet and slippery and she should have done her best to avoid it altogether. Not that she'd had much notice, of course, since the body nearly dropped right into her lap. Most of all, she was angry that she had been a liability.

They ran and they ran and they ran until Melody felt like she was going to drop dead in the middle of the forest floor. Like the last time she'd been forced to run, Melody's chest felt as if it were on fire. Each breath was ragged and felt like a million knives piercing her skin. And then there was the matter of cramping. Both of her sides ached furiously, as did her legs. Only this time the pain wasn't quite as bad as before. Her body had upped its endurance since last time, and as a result Melody found herself feeling oddly empowered; or as empowered as a dying girl could feel.

"Let's go, let's go!" A loud voice rang out among the group, but Melody was too busy focusing on her ragged breathing to know who had said it. Whoever it was, she wanted to throttle them.

"What are we going to do? They just keep heading us off!"

"Just keep running!"

"I can't run much longer." Jasper's voice was strained as he tried to keep up with the rest of their small group. Melody went to him immediately, worried that maybe he was over exerting himself too quickly after getting patched up.

"I'm not stopping for him!" Snarled one of the guys, as they ran passed Melody and Jasper, who had begun to slow down.

"Asshole!" Shouted Melody, flicking him the finger as she pulled Jasper to a rough stop. "You okay?" Melody asked, breathlessly.

Jasper nodded his head and placed one hand over his beating heart. The two of them attempted to catch their breath as the group finally stopped for a moment. Melody's whole body throbbed in protest, especially the muscles in her legs. Mel bent over and braced both hands on her thighs before taking a deep breath and straightening once more, ready for action.

_I can handle a few miles,_ she told herself. _I'm Melody freaking Pond._

"I'm sick of running." Bellamy announced angrily. "They know where she is."

The few moments they spent standing there didn't last nearly long enough.

"Diggs?" Roma's voice was shrill as she shouted towards the boy who had yet to stop running. "Where are you?"

His answer was faint, but Roma immediately began to run in the direction that it had come from. A loud sigh escaped Melody, before she grabbed Jasper by the hand and urged him to follow the girl. Tried as they were, they couldn't stop. Not yet. No one wanted to be left behind with grounders on their trail.

They ran throughout the forest, following nothing but the sound of Roma's footsteps ahead of them. It wasn't long before they could hear her screaming, which only urged them on faster. When they founded the corner and saw Diggs' body impaled by some sort of booby trap, everyone paused.

Everyone but Roma.

"They were leading us here." Said Jasper, as he looked around the forest. Melody saw the trip wire that had set of the trap which ended Diggs' life. "It's the only direction we could go."

That's when they all seemed to realize that the sound of footsteps was no longer following them. The grounders had gone away. They had led Melody and her group into a minefield, and now they were just gone? It didn't make sense.

"Where'd they go?" Asked Finn.

"After Roma."

Cue more running.

Melody felt like she had been thrown into this horrible nightmare that never ended. It was an endless circle of eat, sleep, survive, repeat. They weren't living; they were just surviving to the best of their abilities. And even that wasn't good enough. Their numbers were quickly dwindling. In only a matter of weeks there had been at least ten deaths, if not more. Melody was no longer keeping track of how many of them there were.

They ran until they found Roma, speared to a tree. The weapon had gone straight through her heart, killing her on the spot. While Bellamy closed her eyes, the rest of them looked around worriedly. They were being picked off one by one, and no one wanted to be the next victim.

"They're playing with us." Finn announced. "They could kills us whenever they want."

A few beats of silence.

"Then they should get it over with!" Roared Jasper. His shouting rose with every word. "Come on! We know you're out there!" His voice was loud and Melody could hear the thunderous footsteps of the grounders as they approached.

"Shh! Jasper, shut the hell up!" Melody hissed, grabbing his shoulder roughly and giving him a good shake.

They all moved in, forming a tight circle with their backs to one another. Melody was still gripping Jasper, partly out of fear and partly out of anger. The grounders would have caught up to them eventually, but he didn't help with delaying the process.

_Jasper Jordan, you are the bane of my existence._

He was also her savior, so Melody decided to keep her thoughts to herself. Had Jasper not stopped to help her when she couldn't quite catch her footing, she would have been as well off as Roma. And as far as Melody was concerned, they all should get a chance to break down once in a while. Jasper had been too strong for too long. Granted, it would have been nice if he'd chosen to freak out when they weren't about to die, but beggars couldn't be choosers.

Just when they thought they were doomed, a loud sound resonated throughout the forest.

"That horn." Jasper said slowly, looking around at the retreating grounders. "What does it mean?"

"Acid fog."

Finn reached into his bag and was yanking out one of their extra tents. Melody had never encountered the "Acid Fog", but she'd heard that it was a nasty thing. They claimed it burned your skin off and covered you in boils. If you got caught in the fog, there was no escaping it. You just died.

"We've got to go!" Insisted the other girl -whose name Melody did not know- passionately, as she looked towards where the grounders had retreated to.

"There's no time."

Finn rolled out the tent and urged them to all lay down on it. Melody dropped to the ground and lay on her belly, as did the other four. When everyone was down, they pulled a tarp over their heads and held it down, so none of the fog could get in. They didn't know if it would work, but they figured it was their best bet.

Minutes passed. First five, then ten. With each passing moment they became more and more reckless as they waited to see what would happen. Finally, it got to the point where no one could stand lying on top of one another anymore. Rather than wait it out, Bellamy threw the tarp away from them and popped his head up. "There's no fog."

They all sat up quickly and looked around. Finn suggested that it was a false alarm. Melody had a hard time believing someone could mistake acid fog for a raincloud, even if she never had seen the fog before. They had described it as being thick and yellow and fast-moving. And from what she had seen, the only things even close to that were the harmless, gray clouds that floated overhead.

"They're coming back."

Everyone stood at attention as another grounder ran through the forest. This one, however, was not after them. It couldn't even see them as far as they knew. It just ran straight, as if running away from something else. Maybe the fog?

"Now can we run? He doesn't see us."

"I'm going after him." Announced Bellamy.

"And what? Kill him?"

"No. Catch him. Make him tell me where Octavia is…then kill him."

"How do we know he's not leading us into another trap?" Asked Jasper.

"We don't." Finn said simply, with an uneasy glance towards Bellamy's back as the older male began to follow after the grounder.

"Come on." Urged Melody, nodding her head towards Bellamy. "It's our only chance." She pointed out, before jogging to keep up with Bellamy.

The whole day had gone by so fast that Melody's head was still reeling. Everything had happened so quickly from the very beginning. John's death, the grounder attack, running, Diggs' death, more running, Roma's death, more running, the Acid Fog scare, now even more running…Today had been nothing but a constant flurry of mayhem.

Still, she refused to give up.

If there was even the slightest chance that Octavia was alive, Melody wouldn't leave until she'd found her. This had started out as a rescue mission and then it had suddenly morphed into a game of cat and mouse. They had lost three lives already, and Melody refused to allow those deaths to be in vain. All of their friends had died heroes. Maybe they hadn't done something amazing in the grand scheme of things, but to Melody -and Bellamy- they'd done something that no amount of thanks could ever repay.

And now, the rest of them were going to find Octavia and they were going to take her home. End of discussion.

No one said a word as they trailed behind the lone grounder. They didn't want to risk being exposed before they were led to Octavia; if they were led to Octavia. They walked with Bellamy in the lead, followed by Melody and Finn behind him, and then Jasper and Monroe at the rear of the group. They walked in a crouch, trying to be as silent as the grounders who so easily barreled through the forest.

It seemed like he was leading them nowhere. And then, all of a sudden the grounder just stopped. He stopped right in the middle of a clearing and just stood there. Bellamy's arm shot out, preventing Melody from moving forward as she'd been about to. When she looked at him curiously, Bellamy just pressed one finger to his lips before looking back towards the grounder.

_How do we know he's not leading us into another trap?_

_We don't._

Melody bit down hard on her bottom lip, her eyes scanning both the forest floor and the treetops for any sign of movement. She didn't relax when she saw nothing; she never saw anything. The grounders blended in too well. They were too still. Too quiet. If this was a trap, then Melody and her friends were as good as dead. They had no weapons -aside from her bow- and no protection. They were done for.

Just when Melody thought the grounder might look up and notice them, he bent down and began to tug at something in the grass. Moments later a hatch opened, and the grounder slipped inside. One long, tanned arm reached up and closed the hatch behind him.

"They're underground?" Melody asked in a whisper, staring at the place where the grounder had just disappeared.

"Makes sense." Bellamy said quietly. "It's hard to see unless you know where you're going."

"And it's safe from the acid fog and the crazy mutated animals." Added Finn.

"So what's our plan?" Asked Jasper as he moved forward to get in on their little huddle. "Any strategy?"

"We go in and we get my sister."

The words had barely left Bellamy's lips before he was striding forward, his eyes constantly moving around in an attempt to detect any sort of danger. Melody's heart pounded against her chest as she watched Bellamy walk through the exposed area.

"That's what I was afraid of…" Whispered Jasper. He shook his head in a disapproving way as they all stared at Bellamy.

Inch by inch he made his way across the clearing. Everyone held their breath, half expecting to see a spear come flying out of the woods. When he managed to get across uninjured, Melody sighed in relief and began to follow after him immediately. Jasper's hand shot out and wrapped around her wrist.

"Careful. Slowly." He whispered in her ear, before letting go of Melody and following her into the clearing.

Bit by bit, the remainder of the group made their way to the grounder hideaway. Melody led the group, and she was hurrying as fast as she possibly could, despite Jasper's warning. If Bellamy had made it, then she could make it. The grounders wouldn't just let him go across and risk him getting into one of their homes.

When they finally made it across, Bellamy slowly lifted up the hatch. The drop wasn't very long, but it was unsettling. Melody could see what appeared to be a narrow, stone corridor. There was little light in the place. Sunlight flooded in through the open hatch, but that was about it. It looked like something out of a nightmare…The place gave Melody the chills.

"Alright. I'll go in first." Bellamy suggested in a whisper as he began to slowly lower himself into the hole. "When I'm in, you jump." He ordered Melody, looking up at her sternly, as if he could already anticipate the argument that was about to unfold.

"What?" Hissed Melody, her eyes widening with surprise and also a hint of terror. Jumping into a deep, dark hole in the ground was not on her to-do list. "I'll break my neck!" One of the disadvantages of being small was the fact that you were a bit more breakable than the others. Melody doubted her legs could support her body when it came to such a drop; not without breaking, of course. "I'll die."

"Stop acting like you're some fragile flower." Ordered Bellamy with a roll of his eyes. "You'll be fine. I'll be there to catch you."

"Oh, that's so reassuring. I'd rather _not_ jump to my death today, thank you."

"You've got the bow. I need you in there to watch my back while everyone else gets in."

"Why can't I lower myself in? And then you can jump."

"Because I've got at least a head and a half on you. Face it Melody. It'll be easier for me to get myself down there than you. Stop being difficult."

"Oh fine." Melody said, frowning down at Bellamy, who had lowered all but his head and shoulder into the hole. He was holding himself up with just his arms, the show off. And when Melody thought about it, that was probably why he was allowed to go in first. She wasn't strong enough to make it down there in one piece. Or maybe she was, but they weren't going to take the chance.

Bellamy's head disappeared. They heard the softest thudding sound after a moment, accompanied by a soft grunt. Melody knew that if she'd tried to do that, things would not have ended well. It was hard to imagine all the grounder woman getting in and out of these places. If there even were grounder women…But Melody figured there must be, if they were keeping their species alive. Those women were probably just as crazy and dangerous as the men. Maybe that's why they could jump in and out of holes in the ground like it was nothing.

"Melody, come on. We don't have all day." Bellamy's voice floated up towards them from the bottom of the hole.

A sigh left Melody's lips as she crawled towards the hole and sat down on the edge, allowing her legs to dangle. When she leaned over to look for Bellamy, she was relieved to find that the little corridor wasn't as dark as she had thought. Bellamy was waiting for her, both of his arms outstretched. Seeing him down there made Melody a bit less nervous, but she really wasn't looking forward to the short drop.

_Don't think about it._

Taking her own advice, Melody closed her eyes and leapt into the hole. The drop was surprisingly short, and Melody immediately knew that she could have done it by herself if she had half a mind to. Bellamy's arms were strong, but very hard, when she fell into them. Bruising was inevitable. But when she looked up and saw him grinning down at her, she could suddenly care less about the bruises.

"I've got your back." Melody whispered as stepped away from him and pulled the bow over her head. "Help them get down here."

Bellamy nodded and turned back towards the hole in order to offer Finn his hand. Melody pulled an arrow out of her sheath and loaded it into the string. She didn't really know how to use a bow yet, but she figured it was best to keep that little bit of information to herself. Melody figured that if a grounder got close enough, she could easily shoot him. The corridor wasn't wide enough for the arrow to go anywhere else. Luckily, it wasn't long distance shooting.

One by one the rest of them filed into the little corridor. First Finn, then Monroe, and finally Jasper. Melody kept her eyes peeled, but there was no immediate danger. She didn't know where the grounder had gone, but it didn't seem like he would be coming back any time soon. Nevertheless, she didn't allow herself to slack off. She stood at attention while Bellamy was getting everyone inside, and then she led the way.

The "hallways" were long, but there were not very many of them. Melody found herself surprised to see that the underground area was much like a little house. There were several rooms -all of which they checked before continuing- and they were all connected by a system of corridors. It was dark and creepy, but it was also kind of home-like. For some weird reason, Melody found herself picturing a little grounder family living in this place. How did they live? Like her people? Did they sleep in beds and eat breakfast at a table and spend the day doing various household tasks? It seemed impossible, but the more Melody saw of the place the less convinced she was of the grounder's lack of civilization.

"Melody, stop." Bellamy commanded, once more throwing his arm out to keep her from advancing.

"What is it?" Mel whispered, raising the bow a bit more as she tried to see around the corner.

"The main room." He whispered, taking a step forward. "I'll go in. You guys stay here. If shit turns bad, make sure you run."

Melody nodded stiffly. Everyone knew that she wouldn't leave Bellamy here to die even if something did go wrong. Even Bellamy knew it, but he still hoped that maybe she would use her common sense. It was obvious that he would never continue if she didn't agree, so Melody decided to humor him.

Bellamy peeked his head around the corner cautiously, and then froze suddenly. Melody stepped to his side, bow drawn, ready to shoot whatever was in there. To her surprise, she wasn't met with an enemy. The only grounder in sight was laying on the floor, looking as if he had been knocked out. His body was sprawled in a way that suggested he hadn't just fallen asleep or anything. What surprised her even more was the other person in the room.

Chained to the wall on the far end of the room was Octavia.

"Bellamy?" Her voice was filled with both relief and confusion when she saw her brother standing in the doorway.

"Octavia!" Bellamy was across the room in a moment and knelt by her side. He checked his sister over urgently for a few seconds and was glad to find that she was unharmed.

"Get the key!" Urged Octavia desperately, nodding her head to the shining piece of metal on the ground. Bellamy grabbed the key and brought it to the padlock that was keeping Octavia's chains on the wall. He couldn't seem to get the lock undone fast enough for either of their likings.

Melody walked into the room, her eyes trained on Octavia. The raven-haired girl looked up at Melody with big, hazel eyes that were full of too many emotions to count. Melody wanted nothing more than to bend down and hug Octavia, but 1) the girl was chained, and 2) they didn't have any time to waste. The grounder wouldn't be down forever.

"Monroe, guard the door!" Bellamy ordered, as he finally managed to unbind Octavia's chains. The moment her hands were unbound, Octavia leapt at Bellamy and drew him into her arms. They clung to one another, with Bellamy tying to soothe the almost hysterical girl. "Shh, it's okay. You're okay."

Melody was so relieved that she forgot where they were for a moment. All she could think about was how happy and relieved she was to see Octavia alive and well. Melody wanted to hold the other girl close and never let her go. It was an odd feeling, one that she'd never felt before. Melody always wanted to protect her friends, of course, but with Octavia it was different. She was different.

Octavia was Melody's best friend.

The two girls collided in a hug that was nearly painful. Melody wrapped her arms firmly around Octavia and felt her breath leave her in a soft sigh. Her eyes fluttered shut and Melody just stood there for a few moments, surprised at how much she had truly missed the other girl. It took situations like this to realize how much someone really meant to you. And luckily, in their case, they hadn't realized it too late.

"I'm so glad you're here." Octavia whispered when she finally pulled away and looked at Melody with a small smile. Melody could only smile and nod her head in response. She knew that there were no words to convey her feelings at the moment.

"I'm here, too." Jasper said softly, grinning at Octavia pointedly.

It was then that she seemed to notice him for the first time. "How did you find me?" Octavia threw herself at Jasper, wrapping her arms around him immediately.

"Followed him." Jasper said, with a soft laugh and a nod towards the grounder on the floor.

That seemed to bring Octavia back to the present.

"We should go. Now." Urged Octavia, looking down at the grounder with a frown. Surprisingly, she didn't look scared. Just anxious. "Before he wakes up."

"He's not going to wake up." Bellamy declared as he circled the male for a moment before grabbing a spear that was propped up against the wall. Melody's grip on her bow tightened in response as she looked down at the grounder.

"Bellamy, stop." Octavia said, limping towards her brother. "He didn't hurt me. Let's just go."

"They started this. Finn, move."

Finn was crouched by the grounder, examining something that was wrapped around his waist. Melody crouched down beside him, looking at the item with interest. It was made of wood and it had strange designs and symbols on it. Melody had never seen anything like it.

"Fog horn." Finn announced quietly.

Melody barely had time to blink before everything was happening. One moment she was crouched beside Finn, and in the next she was rolling across the floor. There was a sharp pain in Melody's shoulder as she collided with the stone floor. There was another pain in her side, but it wasn't from any sort of collision.

She'd been pushed.

When Melody sat up, she saw more than one confusing sight in front of her. Head still dizzy, she managed to crawl towards where her bow had fallen. The sheath was still strapped to her side, but the arrows had fallen out and were scattered across the floor. Melody grabbed blindly for the arrows and -after several tries- managed to grab one. She brought it to her bow and loaded the string, only to finally see the sight in front of her.

Bellamy and the grounder were struggling back and forth on one side of the room. The spear was between the two of them as the both of them fought to gain control of the weapon. Melody raised her bow slightly, her arms a bit shaky as she pointed it at the grounder. She knew that her aim wasn't good. Her chances of hitting the grounder were as good as her chances of hitting Bellamy.

On the other side of the room was Finn. He was laying in Octavia's arms, fighting to catch his breath as she gingerly cradled him. Melody was confused until she saw the knife sticking out of his side. A gasp left her lips as she stumbled towards him, her eyes wide and filled with tears. One hand gently pressed against her aching side, and Melody knew now why she'd been shoved aside so roughly.

The knife had been meant for her.

"Oh Finn, I'm so sorry." Melody whispered to him, before climbing to her feet once more and facing the battle that was being fought across the room.

Bellamy was pinned to the ground with the spear at his throat. Melody's movements were more sure know as she swung the bow up and loaded the arrow. She drew back the string and loosened her grip on the end slightly. One eye slid close, and she was just about to let the arrow sail forward when suddenly, the grounder slumped forward.

They all stared in surprise as Jasper looked down at the fallen grounder. He'd managed to knock the grounder out again, and had bought them a few more minutes. And right now, they could use as much time as they could get.

Melody lowered the bow and pulled it over her head once more as everyone ran to Finn. She bent down and quickly gathered her scattered arrows as Bellamy lifted Finn into his arms. Jasper wrapped his arm around Octavia, and they began to move towards the exit.

Melody walked beside Bellamy, staring straight ahead with a solemn expression on her face. Her mind was racing and her heart was heavy. All she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and pretend that this whole day had never happened. But she couldn't do that. Because as always, she had to be the one to protect them. She needed to be the one who protected them. So, she kept her bow raised and her eyes moving. They wouldn't be taken by surprise again.

"This isn't your fault, Melody." Bellamy said from beside her, giving the small girl a worried look as he maneuvered his way through the corridors with Finn in his arms. "It isn't your fault Finn got hurt."

Melody just smiled sadly at Bellamy and gave her head one slow shake to show that she understood what he was saying, but she didn't agree. It wasn't her fault that Finn had shoved her out of the way. That was his call. Even after all of the mean things she had said to him earlier in the day, he still did his best to protect her.

But the knife had been meant for her, and Melody knew that. She couldn't stop herself from feeling responsible. If Finn died, it was on her. Melody was going to do whatever she could to help Clarke save his life. And if he lived, she was going to do whatever she could to make things between them right again. Life was too short for grudges.

"Don't blame yourself, okay?" Pleaded Bellamy, obviously not satisfied with Melody's silence. "You can't blame yourself for any more stupid shit."

Melody looked up at Bellamy and thought about his words for a few moments. There was a lot of grief in her heart and a lot of guilt tearing up her mind on a daily basis. There was Jason, of course, and there was her mother; two people she had hurt beyond repair. There was Charlotte, who she couldn't save. There were the people on the Ark who were dead because of a radio that Melody failed to win back. There were her friends; Clarke, Jasper, Monty, Finn, Octavia, and Bellamy. All of whom she had either lied to or hurt in one way or another, even if it was intentional. All of whom she had affected negatively with her careless words or actions. So to say that Melody blamed herself for a lot of "stupid shit" was pretty accurate. She did a lot of stupid shit to be blamed for.

There was a reason for this.

With a small frown and a slight shrug, Melody avoided Bellamy's question. Rather than assure him that she wouldn't continue to blame herself, -which she most likely would- Melody decided to make a broad statement that pretty much summed up her entire existence.

"We hurt the ones we love the most."


	15. Chapter 15

"Clarke! Where's Clarke?" Jasper's voice resonated throughout the entire camp and probably the forest beyond it. He and Octavia stumbled through the camp gates, both out of breath and looking very panic stricken. "Get Clarke. Now." Commanded Jasper, sending a serious but anxious look in the direction of a younger camper -his name started with an "m", something like Mason or Michael or Miles- who was standing near the entrance.

There was no need for the boy to get Clarke, though, because the blonde doctor had heard the shouting from across the camp. She started out walking towards Jasper, but once she saw the look on his face and heard the urgency in his voice she broke out into a run. Clarke reached them within seconds and, her own face marred with worry.

"Hey, I'm here." She said softly, soothingly. "What's up?" Her gaze then traveled to Octavia and her eyes widened slightly in surprise. A gentle smile spread across her face as she reached out to place a hand on Octavia's shoulder. "Octavia."

Clarke's smile and friendly demeanor didn't last long.

The gate was kicked open then, and the remainder of the group filed into camp. Bellamy was in the lead, gingerly cradling Finn's limp body in his arms. Monroe was right behind him, looking more like she was relieved to be home than worried about Finn's health. Melody had taken up the rear, walking slowly backwards with a fierce scowl in place. Her bow was raised in an attempt to scare off any grounders that might have been lurking. God knew she couldn't actually use the damn thing.

Clarke went from concerned friend to hysterical mistress in a matter of moments when Finn's body came into view, the knife still sticking out of his side. "Finn? Oh my god." Her voice broke, showing just how worried and scared she truly was.

They all watched in silence as Clarke searched for a pulse. Everyone except for Raven, who had now joined the group with a gasp and a look on her face that made Melody wonder if she wasn't about to be sick. "Oh my god. Oh my god." Raven said over and over again, watching the scene before her with widened eyes.

It seemed like a lifetime before Clarke finally said, "He's alive."

Jasper was looking so worried that Melody found herself at his side, wrapping one arm around his wait in what was supposed to be a comforting gesture. It did little to appease the boy, who was nervously wringing his hands as he looked at Clarke.

"Bellamy wouldn't let me take the knife out." Said Jasper.

"No, that was a good call." Said Clarke. She could see that Jasper was obviously worried they'd done more damage by leaving the knife in.

Her gaze then turned towards the group of guys that were trying to take Finn from Bellamy's arms. "Get him in the dropship now." Ordered Clarke, her voice still shaky but once again filled with that same old note of authoritarianism.

They immediately began to move towards the dropship, as in sync with one another as possible in order to keep Finn from experiencing further discomfort. Not that he would actually know if the ride was a bit rough; he'd gone unconscious ages ago.

Raven stepped forward, looking kind of scared, kind of hysterical, and really unstable. "Clarke. Can you save him?" Demanded the wide eyed girl.

"No." Clarke shook her head slowly with a frown. "Not me. I need my mother. I need to talk to her."

"There's still no radio." Raven pressed both hands against her temples, looking helpless and angry.

"Raven, fix it." When the brown-eyed girl just stood there, looking lost, Clarke's voice raised and she sounded more than ever like a strong, confident leader. "Go!"

Raven ran off and then Clarke turned towards Melody and her friends.

"Hey, Octavia. Are you okay?" Asked Clarke, gripping the girl's arm gently as she looked her over as quickly as possible, searching for any sign of external injuries. Aside from a few scrapes and bruises, along with a heavy limp, Octavia was unharmed.

"Yeah." Octavia nodded quickly and gestured towards the dropship. "Just go."

Clarke nodded her head and began to jog away. She'd only taken a few steps away from their small group when she turned around and looked at Melody. The small redhead stiffened slightly and crossed her arms over her chest. Melody's lips were set in a grim line as she looked at Clarke, not knowing what was about to happen.

She can't already know he did it for me, said a quiet, reassuring voice in the back of Melody's head. The voice then turned into a whisper as it added, please, please don't blame me.

"Melody, I need you in the dropship." Said Clarke.

Melody couldn't have been more surprised.

Looking at Clarke as if she had sprouted another head, -which was quite possible on Earth- Melody pointed to herself and raised her eyebrows questioningly. "Me?"

Clarke nodded once.

"I don't know anything about medicine, Clarke." Melody said, her voice slow and confused as if to say, 'you know that.'

"I don't need your help with the medical side of things, Melody. I just need…you." There was a hesitancy in Clarke's voice which let Melody know that she hadn't forgotten about the last time they had spoken. So why would Clarke be asking her for help?

Melody looked at Jasper, who also looked very surprised at Clarke's request for Melody to go into the dropship. It was no secret among their friends that Clarke and Melody were no longer on friendly terms.

"She's right." Said Jasper suddenly, causing Melody's confused gaze to swing in his direction. "I think everyone could use a little bit of your strength today, Melody."

My strength? Wondered Melody with a frown. What strength?

Nevertheless, Melody gave Jasper a gentle pat on the arm and then she slowly followed after Clarke.

When they entered the dropship, things were hectic. Raven was busy working on her water-logged radio in the corner of the room that usually served as Monty's workspace. Finn had been laid across a makeshift bed on the other side of the room and he was still unconscious. Several people were just lingering, either wanting to help or be there to see things get bloody. Everyone loved a good show.

"What can I do?" Melody asked immediately, looking between Clarke and Raven with what she hoped was a hopeful expression on her face.

"Uh, nothing…" Raven said slowly, not even bothering to look up as she continued to re-build her radio.

"We can't do anything until we can contact my mother." Explained Clarke, looking down at the mostly built radio.

"So I should…?" Melody trailed off curiously. She didn't like not being able to help, but it seemed that there was nothing she could do at the moment. The same old feeling of helplessness settled over Melody's mind, and she found herself itching to do anything.

"Can you check on Finn? Make sure he's still…asleep." Clarke said slowly, frowning as she bent over Raven's shoulder and began to give the girl orders in a hushed voice.

Melody nodded her head and turned around to check on Finn. For a few moments she had forgotten about the small crowd -very small, only about five or six people- that had surrounded Finn. When Melody saw the group standing around Finn, eagerly trying to gaze at his wounded chest, she felt her anger bubbling to the surface.

"You." Snapped Melody, pointing to the stragglers that were hanging around Finn's bedside and trying not to look suspicious. It didn't surprise Melody to see that it was the younger kids who were hanging around Finn. They didn't seem to understand the severity of anything, which was becoming increasingly annoying with every tragedy that struck the camp. "Get lost."

"B-but, we were just-" Stammered a young girl, who looked between Finn and Melody very quickly.

"Out." She snarled, pointing her finger towards the exit. "This is an infirmary. It's not a place for you to play."

"Sorry, Miss." One boy shook his head rapidly and looked up at Melody with big, blue eyes. He couldn't have been older than fifteen. And he very much looked like a child who was getting scolded for misbehaving. "We just wanted a look."

"Don't you get it? People are dying all the time. This is serious! The bad things that happen to us shouldn't be used as a means of entertainment." Melody looked between the few of them, clearly exasperated. If she had her way -which she usually did- no one would be ogling Finn in his injured state just for kicks and giggles.

"Just wanted a bit of excitement is all." Another boy said with a sheepish shrug, hesitantly smiling up at Melody as if his boyish charm would somehow soften her.

"Yeah? I see you lurking around here again and the next bit of excitement you're going to get is my foot up your ass."

They all left the dropship in a hurry after that. Melody checked on Finn, glad to see that he was still unconscious. And breathing.

When Melody spun back around to confirm that he was "asleep", she saw that both Clarke and Raven were staring at her. Melody immediately paused, her hand reaching up to rub nervously at the back of her neck. The look of surprise on Raven's face as she flat-out gawked at Melody made her feel uneasy. And the smile on Clark's face did nothing to calm her frazzled nerves.

"What?" Questioned Melody after a few moments of awkward staring.

"That." Said Clarke, her smile widening slightly. This time, it actually managed to reach her eyes. Two pools of blue warmed slightly as they gazed upon Melody with an almost sort of fondness. "That is why I need you in here."

"To threaten people?" Melody snorted, her arms crossed over her chest in an easy pose rather than a defensive one. One foot hooked around the opposite ankle as Melody crossed her legs as well, leaning back against the wall for support. "Bellamy could have done that."

"No. I need you here because you're one of the only campers with a good head on your shoulders." Clarke explained, somehow always knowing the perfect words to say. "You have this…this code. You're so damn loyal. You'll do anything for your friends…even if it means knocking us down a peg or two."

Melody flushed with pride at Clarke's words. "Yeah well…" She trailed off and shrugged her shoulders, pleased but slightly embarrassed by Clarke's words. "Someone has to."

The words friends and us echoed in her mind over and over again as she looked at Clarke, who had stopped smiling at her and was back to speaking with Raven. Did this mean that Clarke counted herself as one of Melody's friends now? She, Melody, didn't want to get her hopes up. She wanted to remain cool and composed. She wanted to pretend that she couldn't care less about Clarke and her decision on whether or not they were still friends. But in the end, Melody couldn't stop herself from smiling.

After a few minutes of just standing around, Melody excused herself to get some boiled water, knowing that Clarke would eventually need it. Raven was so engrossed in her radio that she barely even looked up. Clarke nodded her head, but she was busy staring outside at the impending storm.

Melody stepped outside and immediately stumbled back a step or two when she was hit by the force of the wind. Rain was falling from huge, black storm clouds that loomed overhead menacingly. Thunder rumbled in the distance, but there was no sign of lightning…Yet. Figuring she might as well get the water while it was still safe, Melody hurried over to the covered basin and began to fill up the bottles that she had clipped to her belt.

As soon as the third bottle was full, Melody felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned her head, squinting through both the rain and the stray pieces of her hair that whipped around in every direction. It took a few moments for her to realize that Bellamy was facing her, with one arm shielding his face from the rain as he bent closer to be heard over the sound of the storm.

"We're heading out!" Bellamy shouted, his voice somehow rising above the shrill shrieking of the wind.

"Heading out?" Questioned Melody with a frown as she finished clipping the last bottle to her belt. When she turned to fully face Bellamy, both of her hands fell on her hips. "Where are you going?"

Bellamy looked hesitant, as if he didn't want to tell her. It was a few moments before he answered her, sounding sheepish but determined. "To find that grounder."

"Bellamy, no. It's not worth it. Going back into grounder territory is dangerous."

"He took Octavia and he stabbed Finn. We're not going to forget about that, Melody."

"He saved Octavia!" Argued Melody. She, for one, believed her roommate's story about how the grounder had cared for her and fixed her injured leg. Bellamy was convinced that the grounder had kidnapped Octavia and kept her there in order to kill her. "Can't it wait?"

Melody brought one hand up to wipe away the rain that was now dripping down her face. With each passing minute the storm grew rougher and wilder. They'd never had bad weather on the ground before. No one really knew what to do in the wake of a thunderstorm, so it seemed that everyone was piling into the dropship with urgency. If they'd had poisonous fog, surely they could have acidic rain.

"No, it can't wait. We're leaving as soon as possible."

"Okay, just let me grab my bow."

"No." Bellamy reached out and pressed his hand firmly against Melody's shoulder, stopping her when she began to move for her tent.

"No?" Mel stared up at Bellamy with a frown. "What do you mean no?"

"I mean no, I'm not letting you go back out there. It's too dangerous."

"Exactly. That's why I need to go with-"

"No."

Their gazes locked, brown on green.

Finally, after a few more moments of an intense stare down, Melody sighed and decided to give in on the matter of Bellamy going to find the grounder. Mel would settle if he made her one simple, little promise. "Fine. Just tell me you won't kill him."

"Melody, they've already killed a lot of our people…"

"Tell me you won't kill him."

"…John, Diggs, Roma..."

"Tell me you won't kill him."

"…Could already be plotting our down fall…"

"Bellamy!" Melody shrieked, scowling at him with both arms now crossed over her chest. Partially to ward off the chill that was quickly settling deep within her bones, and partially because it was habit.

"Fine!" Bellamy was shouting now, but it was because of his anger and impatience rather than his desire to be heard over the storm. "I won't kill him. We'll just question him."

Melody was relieved. She shouldn't have been, but she was. The grounder may have stabbed Finn -in an attempt to stab her- but he had also taken care of Octavia. He had saved her from the other grounders. And he had blown the foghorn to draw the grounders back to their village when they'd been about to attack. Somehow it didn't feel right to kill him when he had saved them more than once.

"Okay." Mel nodded her head in agreement, which sent water flying every which way. "Be safe." She ordered, placing one hand on gently Bellamy's arm. She gave it a gentle squeeze, reassuring herself that he would be fine. It was Bellamy, after all.

"No one will be out in this storm." Bellamy said, his gaze falling to the dainty hand that rested upon his bicep. All traces of anger seemed to have dissolved for a moment. Now, he seemed like he wanted to assure her that they would be safe out there. As if Melody would ever have believed that.

"Still, be careful. They're unpredictable." She pointed out, causing Bellamy to nod in understanding and agreement.

Rather than telling her to be safe too, Bellamy just nodded his head once more and then gave her an order that was so Bellamy. "Get your ass inside. You'll come down with pneumonia if you stay out here. The last thing I need is another wounded soldier."

"Sir Yes, sir." She gave him a mock salute.

Melody let go of Bellamy's arm as he pulled away and shouted for the rest of his group to follow him. Without another word, Bellamy turned around and led his group further and further from the safety of camp. Mel watched for a few moments as their backs disappeared into the forest and the gate was shut behind them.

Not wanting to get caught up in the storm, Melody looked around the camp once to make sure that no one was left outside. Unlike Melody, they had all been smart enough to get out of the storm before it had gotten so heavy. Seeing that it was only her left outside, Melody hurried into the safety and warmth of the dropship.

Melody was greeted by a surprising and amazing sight. Raven was sitting at her -or Monty's- little bench, talking into the microphone that was attached to her headset. Melody could hear static from the radio, and then a few voices that were accompanied by another great amount of static. Everyone pressed closer to try and hear what was being said.

"This is Raven Reyes. I'm from Mecha Station. I'm transmitting from the ground. The hundred are alive." Raven said eagerly, speaking as loudly and clearly as she possibly could. "Please, you need to get Doctor Abby Griffin. Doctor Abby Griffin. Now."

There was a male's voice coming through the speakers as he said something about trying to boost the signal. People immediately began to chatter, all of them excited about having made contact with someone from The Ark. While everyone began to talk, Melody pushed herself to the front of the room until she was standing beside Clarke and Raven.

"The Ark?" Asked Melody, her eyes widening in surprise and delight.

"Yes." Agreed Clarke with a nod before she shifted her nervous glance in Finn's direction. "We're trying to get my mother on the radio."

"Good." Melody said softly, giving Clarke the biggest smile she could manage. "She'll be able to help us, Clarke. I know she will."

Clarke nodded her head in agreement. She was about to say something else when suddenly they heard a new voice on the radio.

"Raven? Are you there?" The voice was distinctively feminine and anxious.

Clarke froze for a moment and turned to look at Raven with wide eyes. She bent closer to the microphone, half-leaning on the table in front of her as she tried to speak into the small device.

"Mom? Mom, it's me." Clarke said slowly, looking at the radio.

There was a few moments of hesitation before the woman answered. "Clarke?"

"Mom, I need your help. One of our people was stabbed by a Grounder."

Another voice came onto the radio. Melody recognized this voice immediately. It was the voice of the Chancellor. A tall, dark-skinned man who walked around the Ark with his head held higher than the rest of them. The Chancellor was the one who decided what happened to criminals. He was the one who had locked them up, floated their parents, and sent them down to Earth to die.

None of the delinquents liked him much.

"Clarke. This is the Chancellor. Are you saying there are survivors on the ground?"

"Yes. The Earth is survivable. We're not alone."

There was a pause. No one said anything.

"Mom, he's dying." Clarke interrupted the silence and looked over at Finn worriedly. "The knife is still in his chest."

"Clarke. Is my son with you?" The Chancellor again.

Everyone grew quiet. They all looked to Clarke, suddenly solemn at the mention of Wells Jaha. He'd been one of the first ones to die on Earth. Charlotte had killed him. And now, they were both dead. Everyone waited to see how Clarke would address the situation with the Chancellor.

"I'm so sorry. Wells is…Wells is dead."

Silence from the Ark.

The delinquents were also silent. Wells' death was fresh in their minds. And while no one had particularly liked the boy -due to the fact that he was the Chancellor's son- they all still felt the loss. So many lives had been lost at this point. Melody, who had been on decent terms with Wells, mourned him once more. And then she thought of his father. The man who had floated her very own father. The man who had sent her down to Earth to die. And she couldn't find it in her heart to hate him. At least not in this moment. Not when he had just found out about the fate of his son. And as much as the rest of the 100 hated Chancellor Jaha, they all cast their gazes downwards and mourned with him.

"May we meet again." Whispered someone from the back of the room. There were several murmurs of agreement as people echoed the words.

The Chancellor did not come back on the radio. Melody didn't figure he would be up to talking any more, considering everything. It was a few minutes before they could hear Abby's voice on the radio once more. Melody's heart lurched and she hoped that the woman would be able to help them fix Finn.

"I'm going to talk you through it, step by step." Said Abby, much to their relief.

Maybe there is hope for Finn after all.

The dropship creaked then, the metal groaning in protest as the wind relentlessly tried to uproot everything in its path. Everyone looked to the doors in annoyance and worry. Melody sat herself on the edge of Finn's bed and ran her fingers through his hair, pulling it back away from his forehead.

"Clarke, you need to find…" Abby's voice cut out and they heard only static.

"What?" Shouted Clarke, looking at the radio with a frown. "Raven, what's wrong?" Clarke moved away from Finn and towards Raven, who was busily trying to reconnect the radio.

"It's not the radio. It's the storm." Raven insisted, as she desperately tried to get the red light on the radio to come on once more.

They all frowned as they looked first at the radio and then towards the door of the dropship, which remained open. The curtain that covered the entrance was flapping wildly with the wind. Rain poured down outside and the thunder rolled, coming closer and closer to their camp.

"It's the connection." Melody said, licking her lips nervously as she continued to run her fingers through Finn's hair. It was more in an effort to calm herself than to soothe him. What did he care? He wasn't even conscious. "So…what happens if the storm wipes it out?"

No one answered, but no one had to.

Raven threw herself into her work furiously, trying her best to make sure that the radio turned back on. Clarke leaned against Finn's bed and closed her eyes tightly. Everyone grew quiet as they did their best to stay off to the sides and out of the way.

Melody's heart sank as she looked down at the boy in front of her. A boy who was one of her closest friends. Finn had been there from the very beginning. And although they'd had their rough patches, the two of them had always had an unspoken connection. It had showed when Finn had protected her from Bellamy -and everyone else- the day she had gotten into a fight. It had showed all of the times the two of them had argued, said harsh things, and then gone on with their lives as if it never happened, not having needed apologies. And it showed now, as Melody sat by his side and gently ran her fingers through his hair while whispering soft, encouraging words to him.

This was Finn. Her Finn. A Finn that was different from both Clarke's Finn and Raven's Finn. He was the peacemaker. The first one to volunteer to help and the last one to give up on things. Well, except for that one time when he was going to let them kill Jasper…but that was forgiven. The same boy that she had threatened to kill not even a day earlier over a few petty words. And now here he was, dying on a table in front of her. And there was absolutely nothing Melody could do that would stop Finn's impending death. She wasn't a doctor, she wasn't a mechanic, and she sure as hell wasn't a miracle worker. They all knew what would happen if Abby couldn't communicate with them.

Finn would die.

|oOo|

Melody and Octavia entered the dropship some time later, both of them soaked from the rain outside that had only worsened over the last half hour. Each of them carried a metal jug in their hands, both of which were filled to the brim with moonshine. Monty and Jasper had set up their own make-shift still and had been producing moonshine by the gallon for several days. Not only was it a great pick-me-up, but it was also an amazing disinfectant.

"Ugh, Monty's moonshine?" Asked Clarke as she took the metal container from Melody's hands and inhaled the moonshine's strong scent.

"Pretty sure no germ could survive it." Octavia said with a small smile as she bent down and began to pour it into a small bowl.

Melody wanted to help, but the two girls looked like they could handle it. So, Melody busied herself with pulling off her jacket and hanging it up to dry. That left her in a black tank top, which was rather damp, and her jeans which were as soaked-through as her jacket. The wet clothing stuck to her body in a rather uncomfortable way, but it would be no use to change now, when the storm was still so heavy.

Once again there was the sound of the dropship creaking as the storm outside continued to grow louder. Melody turned to look at the open entrance, where the curtain was still flapping wildly in the wind. There was about as much rain getting inside as there was outside. Clarke and Octavia seemed to notice this as well.

"Storm's getting worse." Clarke commented with a frown. "Monroe, close the doors."

"But we still have people out there." Objected Monroe.

This caused Clarke to frown as she looked from Monroe to the open door. "Monty and Jasper still aren't back yet." She said softly.

"Neither is Bellamy." Added Octavia.

"It's okay. They'll find somewhere to ride it out." Clarke assured her.

From across the room, Raven was making an impatient noise as she hurried towards Clarke. Her hand was held high and whatever she held was glittering in the light. "One stitching needle." She announced.

"Great. I still need something to close the wound."

"There's some wire on the second level." Octavia looked up at Clarke as she finished disinfecting the last of the tools. "I used it on the tents."

Clarke told Octavia to get it, so the girl nodded her head and began moving for the ladder that would lead to the second level. Melody took her place, making sure that all of the tools were as clean as they could get them. If Finn went septic, it would mean another trip to find some of the red seaweed Clarke had brought back last time. And none of them could make the trip in weather like this.

"Stay away from the blue wires that run through the ceiling. I rigged it to the solar cells in the roof." Raven called after Octavia, who didn't look up as she hurried towards the ladder. With a frown, Raven raised her voice slightly. "That means they're hot! You got that?"

"Yeah. I got that." Retorted Octavia in a bored tone.

Something about Raven's tone of voice made Melody scowl. Perhaps it was her more defensive side coming out. She didn't like the way Raven seemed to talk down to Octavia. Sure, Octavia may not have been a mechanic, but she wasn't an idiot. "Solar" was a pretty universal term. The last thing Melody needed now was another know-it-all.

"She's not deaf." Said Melody shortly.

Raven looked at Melody with a somewhat surprised expression on her face. "Excuse me?" And then her gaze darkened, and she took one step towards Melody. As everyone knew by now, Mel wasn't the type of girl to be intimidated by much. Especially not some pompous mechanic that thought she was superior just because she'd gotten off of Mecha. Not everyone had that opportunity.

So, Melody took two steps forward and was about to take a third when Clarke stepped in between them.

"Cool it." Ordered Clarke as she looked between the two of them with a frown. "Right now we need to concentrate on helping Finn."

Melody and Raven glowered at each other for a few more moments. Eventually, Melody grew bored glaring and reached out to grab the half-empty container of moonshine. She brought it to her lips and took a deep swallow, allowing the liquid to warm her up. Clarke was right; there was no sense in fighting right now. They all needed to be on the same side, if only for a little while.

While she was trying to drown her sorrows, Raven and Clarke had turned to look at one another.

"Tell me you can do this." Urged Raven.

Clarke didn't answer.

"Hey, they're back!" Shouted a voice from the front of the ship.

Everyone turned to look at the entrance to the dropship. When Bellamy stepped through the threshold, Melody felt relieved.

"Bellamy!" Octavia began to lower herself from the ladder.

Melody was smiling, but that smile soon faltered when she saw the rest of the group walk in behind Bellamy. At first, she didn't see anything out of the ordinary. But the sound of something being dragged across the ground made her frown and she moved closer to get a better look. It didn't take Melody long to recognize the body they dragged behind them.

Laying in the middle of the floor was the grounder.

Blindfolded and chained up, he looked as if he had been knocked out. Blood dripped from one of his temples. His chest was bare and dirt coated his body, suggesting that they had been careless when transporting him to camp. It wouldn't have been surprising if they'd just dragged him the whole way; they had no tact.

"The hell are you doing?" Demanded Octavia as she stared between Bellamy and the grounder.

"Time to get some answers."

"Oh. You mean revenge?" Octavia sounded as angry as Melody felt.

"I mean intel." Corrected Bellamy with a frown.

Melody began to walk towards him, but Bellamy shot one hand out to keep her back. When their eyes met, Melody could see what Bellamy was trying to say. It's dangerous. But as far as Melody could see, there was only one dangerous man in front of her. And it definitely wasn't the one who was blindfolded and chained up on the floor. Still, she didn't move forward. Instead she just watched Bellamy with a scowl and both arms crossed tightly over her chest as she waited to see what his next move would be.

Bellamy turned to look at the boys who carried the body. "Get him upstairs."

Melody felt sick to her stomach as she watched the body get carried away. When she'd made Bellamy promise not to kill the grounder, she figured that would ensure his safety. How wrong she was…Whatever Bellamy had planned was apt to be much worse than death. The way he said those words, time to get some answers, made Melody's skin crawl. She didn't doubt they would get answers…but what would it take?

Clarke moved forward then, to voice her own displeasure.

"Bellamy, she's right." Clarke insisted, backing up Octavia.

Bellamy looked angry for a moment, but then his head snapped upwards in surprise. Once again there was static coming from the radio, and then they could hear Abby's voice informing Clarke that they were ready to do the procedure. At the voice of the Ark's doctor, Bellamy's gaze darkened and then got this far-away look that Melody didn't recognize.

"Look, this is not who we are." Continued Clarke with a frown as she looked up at Bellamy.

In the background they could hear Abby's voice calling for Clarke, but most eyes were trained on the two leaders. Things between Clarke and Bellamy were almost always tense when it came to the big decisions. Clarke used logic, Bellamy used instinct…Usually, Clarke could sway Bellamy to her side. But not today.

"It is now." He said simply, before turning and walking away from her.


End file.
